


Take To The Skies

by DrgnLdyLiz



Category: How to Train Your Dragon - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Female Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, Male Astrid Hofferson
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:40:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 23,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28266285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrgnLdyLiz/pseuds/DrgnLdyLiz
Summary: Hiccup has always been a little, well . . . different.  Too thin, too weak and too smart for her own good.  Trying desperately to fit in with her village, she shoots down a Night Fury during a raid, but can't kill it.  Instead, she helps him fly again, learning about dragons and herself in the process.  Perhaps fitting in is easy after all, when the space you occupy is filled by two.Originally posted on ff.net.
Relationships: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III/Astrid Hofferson
Comments: 20
Kudos: 57





	1. This Is Berk

**Author's Note:**

> Cressida Cowell and Dreamworks own this, not me. I'm just having a little fun and I'll put them back when I'm finished.

“Dragons!” Hiccup gasped as she slammed the door shut, trying desperately to ignore the heat building up along her back as the Nightmare outside breathed fire against it. She was a thin, lanky girl with copper hair drawn back into a braid, emerald green eyes and a scattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks. A smart mouth hid the fact that she had next to zero self-esteem thanks to years of being picked on, but the one thing she was never able to hide was that she was smart. Even when her inventions misfired or, on occasion, blew up in her face, she was often the only one who knew how to fix them or even what they were for. Too bad for her, though, was that no one saw the brains behind the inventions, just the destruction those inventions invariably caused.

Ducking out the door when the heat died down, she dodged and wove her way across the village, heading for the only other place she was allowed to go during a dragon attack: the forge. After quickly ducking under a log carried by a pair of Vikings, she jerked to halt with a startled cry when an explosion briefly cut her off. A Viking came flying toward her, driven by the explosion behind him, roaring a battle cry until he landed over her, catching himself before he crushed her. “Morning!” he said with a smile before grabbing up his ax and bounding away, back to the battle raging around them.

Ignoring the calls of “What are you doing out?” and “Get back inside!”, she ran for the forge as fast as her feet could carry her only to be jerked to a sudden halt by a hand grabbing the back of her vest, keeping her from stepping into a line of fire shot by a passing Nadder. She barely had a chance to breathe a sigh of relief at being spared before she was hauled up and dangled in the face of the chief of the tribe. “What is she doing--” he started to demand, seeming to talk to the air beside him before turning to her. “What are you doing out?” Before she could answer him, he dropped her and shoved her toward the smithy. “Get inside!”

“Nice of you to join the party, lass,” Gobber, the village smith, called as she stumbled in the door. He was a hulking six-six, almost as wide as an ox-cart and with a long, almost golden blond mustache. Missing his left hand and right leg, he still managed to keep up with the demands of the smithy, and could still hold his own in dragon raids. “I thought you'd been carried off.”

“Are you kidding?” she replied with a grunt as she hefted a mace and put it in its slot on the wall. “I'm way too muscular for their tastes. They wouldn't know what to do with all this!” She gestured to herself with a cocky grin that didn't reach her eyes before she rushed over to open the shutters that made up the front of the smithy, ignoring Gobber's question of dragons needing toothpicks. She knew she was skinny, weaker than she should be and more than a little bit clumsy, but she did her best.

Grabbing up the dented, broken and bent weapons that were already piling up, she carried them to the forge and pumped the bellows, throwing her whole body into it. Hiccup has been Gobber's apprentice since she was nine, her father having finally despaired of keeping her away from the shiny metals and fire contained within. Gobber had promised to keep an eye on her during raids, and with luck, teach her a reasonable skill that would hopefully keep her out of trouble when there were no dragons filling the sky above Berk. Going back for another load, she quickly gathered the pieces she'd missed before, catching sight of the “fire cart” she'd designed three years ago to replace the bucket lines. Gobber had taken credit for that, and she let him, knowing no one would use it if they knew it came from her. It was mainly used by teens around her own age, as the older Vikings were too busy keeping dragons from their food and livestock to worry about putting out fires.

First to fill his bucket was Fishlegs, a tall barrel-chested boy who spouted dragon statistics as readily as Hiccup did formulas for her inventions. Dark haired and only an inch or so taller than Hiccup herself which never ceased to annoy him, Snotlout, her cousin and one of her main tormentors, followed behind, quickly replaced by the blond twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut. Behind them came Anstred, easily the most handsome boy Hiccup had ever seen. She'd been harboring a crush on him since she was eleven. Taller than Hiccup by at least a head, he had long, wheat colored hair drawn back in a thick braid. He wore a leather band around his head to keep his bangs out of his ice-blue eyes, but as far as Hiccup ever noticed, it did nothing but attract attention to those fabulous eyes.

Leaning out, she forgot that she was on a ledge and it was only Gobber's quick thinking that kept her from yet another nasty bump on the head. “Come on, Gobber,” she complained as he lifted her away from the window to drop her next to the anvil, “just let me out. I need to make my mark.”

“You've made plenty of marks,” he reminded her, poking her in the chest with his prosthetic tongs. “All in the wrong places.”

“Please, just two minutes,” she bargained, pushing her bangs out of her face. “I'll go out there, kill a dragon, and my life will get better. Who knows? I might even get a date.”

“You can't lift a hammer, you can't swing an ax,” he countered with a set expression as he picked up a bola and shook it in her face. “You can't even throw one of these!” It was snatched out of his hand by a passing Viking who used it to stop a Gronckle from carrying off a sheep.

“This will throw it for me,” she said, moving toward her latest invention and resting a hand on it. She jumped back quickly when it sprang open and shot the bola toward Gobber. Used to such happenings, he shifted his weight and leaned back. It sailed right passed him, knocking out another Viking as he ran up to get another weapon.

“That, right there, is exactly what I'm talking about, Hiccup.”

“It's just a mild calibration issue,” she started to defend herself, hiding the pained wince at his words. Gobber, even if he never understood her, at least listened when she explained how her inventions worked, and to think he was getting tired of them hurt more than she wanted to admit. She worked quickly to reset her machine before turning back to him.

“If you ever want to get out there, lass,” he told her gently, “ to fight dragons, you need to stop all this.” He gestured vaguely in her direction, unable to be more precise at the moment.

“You just pointed to all of me,” she said, biting the inside of her cheek to keep the tears at bay. Gobber's opinion mattered to her, even though she tried to tell herself that it didn't. She had all but given up on trying to win her father's approval: it wasn't likely to happen as she was the wrong gender and barely weighed ninety pounds after she'd been dragged out of the ocean.

“Yes, that's it!” he cried, his tone one he used when she did something he'd been trying to explain for hours and finally understood. “Stop being all of you.” They bickered back and forth another moment before he dropped a sword in her arms and commanded her to sharpen it. It was almost as long as she was and weighed just about as much, too. As she carried it to the whet stone, she thought about which dragon she would take down when she got the chance.

Killing a dragon was everything around her village. A Nadder was sure to get her at least noticed. Gronckles were tough and would definitely get her a boyfriend. A Zippleback was exotic, and because it had two heads, it equaled twice the status. Only the best and toughest Vikings went after the Monstrous Nightmares, which had a nasty habit of setting themselves on fire. The ultimate prize, though, was the dragon no one had ever seen. This dragon never stole food, never showed itself and never missed. No one she knew of in the Archipelago had ever seen one, let alone shot one down. Hiccup swore to herself that she'd be the first.

Somehow, her ears picked up the faint, whistling screech of a-- “Night Fury!” someone shouted from outside and she ducked instinctively when the explosion reached her ears.

“Man the fort, Hiccup,” Gobber told her, switching to his ax hand. “They need me out there.” With a quick “stay put”, he was hollering a battle cry and hobbling his way onto the battlefield.

“Like I'm going to stay here,” she muttered, grabbing up her invention and heading out the back door. Making her way behind the village, ignoring all the shouts for her to get back inside, she set up her machine not far from an abandoned catapult tower and intently watched the sky. The stars shimmered in the black velvet sky, the moon full behind her. Come on, just one good shot, she thought to herself, almost bouncing in anticipation of achieving her latest goal. The screech came again, far off but quickly getting closer. A purple blast of fire exploded against the tower, but the Night Fury moved too fast for her to aim properly. Intently studying the sky where she hoped it was, she saw stars disappear for a brief moment before coming back. The whistle came again, and this time, she was ready. Ignoring the blast, she fired, the recoil stronger than she expected. Knocked to her butt behind it, she leaped to her feet at the roar that seemed to shake the sky. “Yes, I hit it!” she cried, punching a fist in the air as she watched the dragon plummet to the earth. “Did anyone see that?”

With a growl, the Monstrous Nightmare she never saw coming climbed the cliff and with one clawed foot smashed her machine to splinters. “Except you,” she groaned before screaming and running back toward the village, dodging blasts of fire the whole way.

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Stoick looked up when he heard Hiccup scream, and heaved a sigh at the sight of her running for her life from a Nightmare. She always managed to get into trouble when no one kept an eye on her, and even sometimes when they did. No one could explain how a fire had broken out in the mead hall when she was sitting at a table as far from the fireplace as possible, but Stoic rarely let her out of the house or smithy since. “Do not let them escape!” he called to the Vikings he left behind holding down a net full of Nadders. He weaved his way around combatants, helping where he could on his way to help Hiccup.

She ducked behind one of the torches, her skinny frame fitting easily behind it when the Nightmare bathed it in fire, but just to be safe, she kept her arms in and twisted sideways a little. Once the fire stopped, she peeked over her right shoulder and sagged in relief when she didn't see it, only to nearly jump out of her skin when a green and red blur went right by her head.

Stoick stood, weaponless but unafraid of the monster in front of him that could only breathe embers in his direction. “You're all out,” he told it, rushing in to punch and kick it about the head until it had enough and flew away. He turned around the see the torch pole burn through and collapse, the bowl that held the flames rolling down and creating more destruction than the dragons had that night. The dragons flew away, most carrying fish and sheep in their claws and, in one case, the net that had kept them on the ground and was now full of sheep. The sun was just starting to color the sky to the east as he turned to face his recalcitrant daughter.

“Sorry, Dad,” Hiccup muttered, shoulders hunched and eyes on the ground. Glancing up, she quickly added, “I hit a Night Fury, though!” Stoick just sighed and grabbed her arm, intent on getting her home where she belonged and, hopefully, she would stay out of trouble until he got there. “It's not like the last few times, Dad,” she hastened to assure him, stumbling a little as he towed her behind him. “I really, actually hit it! It went down just off Raven's Point. If we move quickly, we might--”

“Stop, Hiccup!” he shouted, whirling around to face her. “Every time you step outside, disaster follows. Winter's almost here and I have an entire village to feed.”

“Between you and me, the village could do with a little less feeding,” she joked, hoping to get at least a smile out of her father. The gods, however, weren't that kind this morning.

“This isn't a joke, Hiccup!” he told her, leaning down to put both massive hands on her shoulders. “Why can't you follow the simplest orders?”

“I see a dragon and I have to just kill it,” she growled out, trying to sound fierce but not even coming close. “It's who I am, Dad.”

“You are many things, Hiccup,” he said, one hand going to his eyes as he straightened, “but a dragon killer isn't one of them. Go back to the house.” Turning to Gobber, he instructed him to make sure she stayed there, as he had her mess to clean up. Hiccup walked in front of Gobber, one hand rubbing her arm where she'd gotten a little singed by the Nightmare, and trying desperately to ignore the teenagers' taunts as she made her way passed them.

“Quite the performance,” Tuffnut sneered as Ruffnut laughed beside him.

“I've never seen anyone mess up that badly,” Snotlout put in, trying to look tough in front of Anstred. “That helped!”

“Thank you,” Hiccup muttered, not looking at any of them. “I was trying.” Snotlout laughed until Gobber smacked him across the back of the head, but it didn't stop him for long. “I really did hit it, Gobber,” she told him as they drew near the house.

“Sure you did,” he replied, obviously humoring her now that the battle was over for now.

“He never listens--”

“It runs in the family.”

“When he does, it's always with this disappointed scowl in his face.” She puffed up her shoulders and deepened her voice as much as she could. “Excuse me, barmaid. I'm afraid you brought me the wrong offspring. I ordered an extra large boy with beefy arms, extra guts and glory and on the side. This girl is a talking fish bone!”

“You're thinking about this all wrong,” he told her as she put a hand on the door to go in. “It's not so much what you look like, it's what's inside that he can't stand.”

“Thank you for summing that up,” she replied, her voice flat and devoid of emotion.

“The point is, stop trying so hard to be something you're not,” he said as she turned for the door again.

“I just want to be one of you guys,” she answered, probably not meaning for him to hear it, but he did and it caused him to think as he walked back toward the mead hall for the gathering he knew was going on. He knew Hiccup spent all her time either in the smithy or at home, but he'd never really looked into why that was. Perhaps it was time to change that. If she wanted to fight dragons, he'd look for a way to make it happen.

He never heard the back door open and close as Hiccup made her escape into the forest to find the dragon.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiccup goes looking for the Night Fury and starts training

It had been just passed dawn when she'd started out, but it was nearing midday now and still no sign of the dragon. Hiccup sighed and scratched out the map she'd drawn in her journal, covered with X's for the spots she'd already searched. “The gods hate me,” she muttered to herself as she shut her book and tucked it into her belt for safekeeping. “Some people lose a knife or a mug. Not me. I manage to lose an entire dragon.” In a fit of frustration, she knocked a branch out of her way only to have it snap back and hit her in the face. Both hands flew to the injury, but quickly dropped when she realized that it felt worse than it was. A little swollen, but it wouldn't bruise and at least it wasn't bleeding.

She looked up at the branch, surely controlled by Loki, only to gasp as she realized that the tree it was attached to had snapped close to the bottom. Her gaze fell to the forest floor, and she realized she was standing in a groove cut into the loam beneath her feet, leading from where she stood to the bottom of the hill and partway up the next. Moving carefully, hoping and praying she was close, she crept her way closer to the next hill, only to drop before she reached the top.

There, looking like it was waiting for her to find it, lay the dragon. Its scales were as dark as the night sky, shining somehow in the diffuse light that came through the leaves and shifting branches overhead. Its eyes were closed, its wings and legs contorted into unnatural looking positions from the bola still wrapped around it. Quickly drawing her knife from her belt, she eased closer before taking cover behind a boulder to take a deep breath. Letting it out, she stood and approached the immobile dragon.

“This fixes everything,” she told herself as she drew closer. Putting one foot on its front leg, she called, “I have brought down this mighty beast!” only to shriek in surprise and fear when the leg moved and tossed her back against the boulder she'd hidden behind. The dragon's eyes were still closed, but its breathing was deeper now, almost as if it was asleep or perhaps, beginning to wake up. Stepping back up to it, she was able to see its face clearly now, and its eyes were definitely open this time. They were a strange mix of yellow and green, the pupils drawn into tight slits, almost like a cat. “I'm going to kill you, dragon,” she told it, lifting her knife above her head for added leverage. It was a small knife, not really meant for what she was going to do, but it was better than leaving the dragon where someone else could find it and claim her glory. “I'm going to cut out your heart and take it to my father. I am a Viking. I am a Viking!” The dragon groaned, as unconvinced of that as she was. She lifted her knife higher and, unable to look away, she saw the dragon close its eyes and rest its head on the ground, accepting it's defeat at her hands. Squeezing her eyes shut, she stood, frozen in place for several long moments before her forearms met her head as she sighed.

“I did this,” she whispered as she dropped to her knees, more ashamed of this one act than anything she'd ever done with a malfunctioning invention. The dragon belonged in the sky, free to do as it pleased, and she'd brought it down to earth, and for what? To kill it and maybe, just maybe, prove that she wasn't as useless as everyone thought? No, if it was to die, it shouldn't be like this. Maybe, though, she could make up for it. Without giving herself too much time to think about what she was about to do, Hiccup started sawing through the ropes that held the dragon in place. Three quick slices later, the dragon had her pinned against the boulder, the claws of one foot on either side of her throat as anger filled eyes glared down at her. She couldn't meet the gaze for long, but every time she looked away, something drew her back.

The dragon drew a deep breath, and stomped its feet on either side of her head as it roared down at her before taking off into the trees, bouncing off rocks and occasionally trees. Hiccup could barely hear it, her ears still ringing as she groped for her knife. Getting to her feet, she made it two steps away from the boulder before her legs gave out and she collapsed in a dead faint.

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It was nearing sunset when Hiccup came to, which meant, unless her dad was already home, he would be soon and she needed to be there. After grabbing her knife, she hauled herself to her feet and made her way back to village as fast as she could. Her ears were still ringing a little, but it cleared as she drew closer to home. Opening the newly repaired door, she slid in and closed it, wincing slightly when it creaked. Turning, she jumped when she spotted her father sitting at the fire, using a poker to shift the logs a little. Taking a deep breath, she tried to sneak passed him but just as she passed behind him, the stairs creaked. Oh, the gods hate me!

“Hiccup,” Stoick called, and she winced as she straightened and started back down the stairs.

“Dad, we need to talk.”

“I need to talk to you, too,” he told her, looking anywhere but at her.

“I've decided it's time you learn to fight dragons.” “I've decided I don't want to fight dragons.”

“What?” they asked each other at the same time, unsure of what the other had said.

“You go first,” Stoick stated, nervous about letting his daughter join the other recruits in dragon training. She was small, weak and not exactly graceful. He could only hope that she would still be there if he got back.

“No, you go first,” Hiccup replied, wanting him to go first so she could work out just what and how to say what she needed to.

“You get your wish,” he told her, making her gape in confusion at him. “Dragon training. You start in the morning.”

“Oh, I should have gone first,” she moaned as she sent a hand through her bangs. “I've been thinking we have a surplus of dragon-fighting Vikings, but do we have enough bread-making Vikings or small-home-repair Vikings?”

“You'll need this,” Stoick told her, handing her a battle ax, which she immediately fumbled and almost dropped on her foot. Disaster was only averted by her father grabbing the weapon and hauling it back up into position.

“Dad, I don't want to fight dragons.”

“Oh, come on,” he scoffed as he turned away, sure she'd see his point. “Yes, you do.” She'd been going on about fighting and killing dragons almost her entire life, and this sudden change of heart seemed out of character. 

“Let me rephrase that. Dad, I can't kill dragons,” Hiccup insisted, taking a few steps after him, the ax an awkward weight in her arms.

“But you will kill dragons.”

“No, I'm really very extra sure that I won't,” she tried again, hoping this time he'd hear her. He never had before, but she really hoped that this time, he'd pay more attention to what she had to say.

“It's time, Hiccup.”

“Can you not hear me?!”

“This is serious, girl,” he said, showing that he wasn't paying attention to her. He took the ax from her and held it up. “When you carry this ax, you carry all of us with you.” He handed it back to her, making her grunt as the weight of it returned to her arms and almost threw her to the floor. “Which means you walk like us,” her father continued, hauling the ax and his daughter upright again, “you talk like us and you think like us.” He stepped back and waved both hands in her general direction. “No more of . . . this.”

“You just gestured to all of me.”

“Deal?”

“This conversation is feeling very one-sided.”

“Deal?” he asked again, leaning toward her again.

“Deal,” she replied, her shoulders slumping in dejection. There was no way this was going to work out the way either of them wanted, no matter what she did. She could continue pretending that she was a dragon killer or she could declare herself a coward and be exiled. The gods really hate me.

“Good.” He grabbed a basket and tossed it over his shoulder. “Train hard. I'll be back . . . probably.” Reaching up, he took his helmet from a peg and placed it on his head as he made his way to the door.

“And I'll be here,” she mumbled, the ax still clutched in both hands, “maybe.” Hiccup remembered hearing that most of the adults were leaving for one last expedition to the dragons' nest before the ice set in. Heaving a sigh, she sent a up quick prayer that her father and the others would return home safely.

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“I'm hoping for some mauling, like on my shoulder or lower back,” Ruffnut was saying as Hiccup rushed to catch up to the others. Despite the dragon raid and searching for the Night Fury, she hadn't slept well the night before, the encounter with the downed Night Fury still too fresh in her mind, and when she left the house, she was halfway to the arena before she realized she'd forgotten the ax and had to run back for it. The arena, or Kill Ring, had started as a natural depression in the ground that, over the years, had been enlarged and deepened as the dragon attacks continued. It now held six cages, almost always occupied, with a chain net over the top to keep the dragons inside when let out.

“Yeah, it's only fun if you get a scar out of it,” Anstred replied casually, shrugging one shoulder.

“No kidding, right?” Hiccup asked from behind them, making everyone turn to face her. She'd never heard of anyone wishing for injuries before, but Vikings were tough and wore scars like badges of honor, so she supposed she could see the allure, even if it wasn't something she aspired to. “Pain. Love it.”

“Great. Who let her in here?” Tuffnut demanded with a sneer.

“Does her dad know she's here?”

“Let's get started,” Gobber called, shutting the gate behind them. “The recruit who does best will win the honor of killing his first dragon in front of the entire village.”

“Hiccup already killed a Night Fury, so does that disqualify her?” Snotlout asked rhetorically, not believing she'd brought one down. Tuffnut muttered about transferring to the class with the cool Vikings making Ruffnut and Snoutlout laugh as they lined up in front of the cages, waiting for class to begin.

“Don't worry,” Gobber told her, putting an arm around her shoulders and guiding her towards the other teens. “You're small and weak. That will make you less of a target. They'll see you as sick or insane and go after the more Viking-like teens, instead.” With a chuckle, he gave her a push to get her in line with the others. He'd obviously meant to be comforting, but Hiccup was having a hard time believing it. “Behind these doors, are just a few of the many species you'll learn to fight. The deadly Nadder.”

“Speed 8, armor 16,” Fishlegs muttered beside her.

“The Hideous Zippleback.”

“Plus 11 stealth, times two.”

“The Monstrous Nightmare.”

“Firepower 15.”

“The Terrible Terror.”

“Attack 8, venom 12.”

“Can you stop that?” Gobber demanded, finally out of patience with Fishlegs. “And the Gronckle.” He put his hand on the lever that would open the cage and checked to see if they were ready.

“Jaw strength 8,” he whispered to Hiccup, who could only gape at him. Those were statistics from the card game that had become popular among the younger members of their village, but it was also a training tool. It gave them an idea of what dragons were like and could do, but she'd never found someone as into it as he was.

“Whoa, wait,” Snotlout shouted when he realized that Gobber was going to open the cage. “Aren't you going to teach us first?”

“I believe in learning on the job,” Gobber told him, not seeing Hiccup copy him. She knew that better than anyone, as he'd tossed her into the forge and only corrected her when she was about to make a mistake or hurt herself. With that, he opened the cage and the Gronckle, who'd been banging on the cage door, flew out at them, its wings buzzing like a hive of angry bees. They scattered, diving for cover or hoping to keep out of the way as the dragon flew around the ring. The dragon flew into a wall, bouncing off only to scoop up some rocks. “Today is about survival. If you get blasted, you're dead. Quick! What's the first thing you're going to need?”

“A doctor?” Hiccup called, holding the ax in a white knuckled grip.

“Plus 5 speed?” Fishlegs sounded as nervous as Hiccup did, and that did nothing to alleviate the tension in her stomach.

“A shield,” Anstred answered, ax gripped in one hand as he bounced lightly on the balls of his feet, ready to dodge in any direction.

“Shields, go!” They ran for the shields scattered about the ring, grabbing the first one that came to hand. “Your most important piece of equipment is your shield. If you must make a choice between a sword or a shield, take the shield,” he instructed, helping Hiccup get hers into position before turning her and giving her a shove into the fray. The twins had each honed in on a shield with flaming skulls painted on it and were fighting over it.

“Get your hands off my shield!”

“There's a million shields!” Ruffnut answered, twisting to try to get her brother to let it go.

“Why don't you take that one?” he suggested, pointing to one off to the side. “It has a flower on it. Girls like flowers.” She managed to get the shield away from him and hit him over the head with it.

“Oops, now this one has blood on it,” she growled just as he grabbed it again. Neither one held it for long, though, when a fireball blasted the shield out of their hands and sent them to the ground.

“Ruffnut, Tuffnut, you're out,” Gobber called from the sidelines. While they made their way towards him, he continued giving instructions. “Those shields are good for another thing: noise. Make lots of it to throw off a dragon's aim.” The teens quickly began hitting their shields with their weapons, making as much noise as possible. It seemed to be working as the dragon shook its head, confused as to which teen to fire at first. “All dragons have a limited number of shots. How many does a Gronckle have?”

“Five?” Snotlout called, running away from the dragon. It had gotten over its confusion and was once again chasing them down.

“No, six,” Fishlegs corrected, not seeing the dragon turning in his direction.

“Correct, six! That's one for each of you!” Fishlegs held up his shield, happy to have been right, only to have it blasted off his arm. “Fishlegs, out!” He ran from the ring, crying out in fear. “Hiccup, get in there!” She took a step out from behind the wooden barricade, only to dart back when another fireball hit where she'd been only a second ago.

Across the ring, Snotlout was trying to impress Anstred again. “You should come by sometime and work out,” he told him, subtly flexing his muscles. “We could see who's stronger.” Anstred dove away, having seen the Gronckle about to attack. Distracted, he never saw the fireball that knocked the shield out of his hands.

“Snotlout, you're done.” Hiccup had finally managed to gather up enough courage to come out again, only to find herself jumping a little when Anstred came to a stop after rolling away from the Gronckle still buzzing around the ring.

“So, I guess it's just you and me?” she asked, surprised she'd managed to speak without stuttering in his presence.

“Nope, just you,” Anstred replied, not even looking at her when he dove away. Hiccup's shield was ripped away by another fireball. Luckily, it wasn't completely destroyed, but it was rolling away.

“One shot left,” Gobber called, watching the goings on with a mostly bored eye. He'd seen trainees come and go, but this lot, with the exception of Anstred, looked like they'd barely make it through without serious injury. He spotted Hiccup running after her shield, the dragon close behind and shouted for her. The shield hit the wall and bounced off, but Hiccup barely managed to turn so her back was to the wall. Mouth agape as it drew in a breath to launch the last shot, Hiccup could only stare, unable to move before it blasted her head clean off her shoulders. If it wasn't for Gobber jabbing his hook in its mouth and turning its head just enough, she would have been a smoking heap. “That's six,” he ground out, fighting the dragon currently chewing on his hook as he maneuvered it back towards its cage. “Go back to bed, you overgrown sausage!” With that, he slammed the door shut and looked back at his trainees. “You'll get another chance, don't you worry.” Except for Anstred, they were all panting hard and looking a little worse for wear. “Remember, a dragon will always,” he said, turning to Hiccup now, “always go for the kill.” He hauled her to her feet and led them out of the ring.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiccup and Toothless meet properly and something unusual happens.

“Why didn't you?” she asked herself, picking up one of the rocks that had been attached to the bola. The Night Fury had every chance to kill her yesterday, but hadn't done it. After roaring its frustration and anger at her, it had flown away. Setting it down, she straightened and looked around before heading in the direction it had flown off. Not really thinking she'd find it, she slowly made her way deeper into the forest. Though she explored whenever she got the chance, she rarely had an opportunity to head this way, so she was careful to take note of landmarks so she could find her way back in case she didn't find it.

Finally, after almost an hour of searching, she came across a deep hole in the ground. It looked deeper than the Kill Ring, a fairly large and deep pond on one side, with a few trees bravely growing, reaching for the sun. Roots from trees above her reached down, some of them almost as big around as she was, giving mute testament to how old some of those trees were. The worst part, so far, was that it seemed empty and that the only way in or out was from above. “This was stupid,” she muttered, “but it is pretty here.” Spotting what looked like black stones on the ground, she picked one up only to find it was a dragon scale. _It's almost the same color as--_ The thought was cut off as a black blur went by her head, making her stumble back with a shocked cry.

The dragon scratched at the wall, digging for purchase so it could reach the top but it fell back to glide across the pond. Spotting a small ledge below, Hiccup quickly made her way down to get a better look. Hopping onto a log, the Night Fury launched itself into the air and flapped, only to come to a crashing halt almost right below her with a thud that echoed briefly through the small space. It tried again and again, getting no closer to the top. She dug out her journal and quickly flipped to a fresh page to sketch the dragon, the few lines she drew capturing the basic shape of it. The dragon shot a blast of purple fire at the ground in frustration, snorting like an angry horse, before launching itself into the air again. It almost looked like it would reach the top this time, only its tail shifted and it crashed to the ground beside the pond.

“Why don't you just fly away?” She looked down at her drawing then back at the dragon before wiping away the left tailfin, not noticing before that it was missing. The Night Fury groaned, pain or exhaustion she couldn't tell, before getting to its feet again. It dove for the pond, mouth agape but came up empty. Right about the time it settled, she dropped her charcoal stick and it clattered to the ground several feet below, drawing the dragon's attention. She stared into eyes so like her own, but the dragon's radiated hurt, anger and hunger. Hiccup tilted her head slightly, wondering what it would do now, and the dragon did the same. Both knew the other could hurt them, but seemed to call a temporary truce long enough to see what would happen between two species who seemed destined to always be at war with each other. “I'll be back tomorrow,” she promised in a whisper as she slowly got to her feet. For right now, though, she needed to get back and put in an appearance in the Mead Hall for review of training and dinner.

* * *

It started raining as she reached the village, and though she tried to stay under cover and dry, the path to the Mead Hall was open and she got thoroughly soaked before she made it to the door. Despite their size, the doors opened easily and she stepped into the warm space. “Where did Anstred go wrong?” Gobber was asking as she made her way to the table where the other trainees were already sitting.

“I mistimed my somersault dive,” Anstred replied, not even looking up at her. “It was sloppy. It threw off my reverse tumble.”

“Yeah, we noticed,” Ruffnut put in, sarcasm heavy in her tone.

“You were great,” Snotlout said, obviously back to trying to impress him again instead of compete with him. “It was so 'Anstred'.”

“He's right, you have to be tough on yourselves,” Gobber told him, passing behind the twins. “Where did Hiccup go wrong?” _Gee, thanks, Gobber,_ Hiccup thought to herself, picking up a plate that had been set aside for her, most likely by the smith. Snotlout moved into the open space behind it, giving her a look she had no problem interpreting. Stepping around to his other side, she grabbed a cup of water only to have Snotlout once again shift so she couldn't sit at the table with them. It was fine as she had no desire to sit with them, anyway.

“She showed up?” Ruffnut offered with a sneer.

“She didn't get eaten?” was Tuffnut's contribution to the conversation.

“She's never where she should be,” Anstred said with a hard glare in her direction. Chief's daughter or not, nothing would stop Anstred from being the best in class.

“Thank you, Anstred,” Gobber replied with an almost scolding tone to the other teens and smacked both twins for their comments. “You need to live and breathe this stuff.” Shoving empty plates and cups out of his way, he tossed a book on the table. “The Dragon Manual. Everything we know about every dragon we know of.” Thunder rumbled and Gobber looked up at the ceiling as if he could see the stormy sky through it. “No attacks tonight. Study up.” He left them to it and headed out to make his way back to the forge.

“Wait, you mean read?” Tuffnut was in shock. No one mentioned reading would be necessary.

“While we're still alive?” Ruffnut wasn't far behind in demanding. If someone had told her reading would be required, she would have stayed home sick!

“Why read words when you can just kill the stuff the words tell you stuff about?” Snotlout asked condescendingly, once again proving his idiocy. Hiccup was pretty sure that he didn't know how to read, seeing it as beneath him, but she wasn't positive.

“Oh, I've read it like seven times,” Fishlegs gushed, happy to finally be able to contribute to the conversation. “There's this water dragon that spits boiling water at your face. And then there's this other dragon that--” He shut up when Tuffnut mimed clamping his lips together.

“That sounds great. There was chance that I was going to read it,” he started, the look on his face saying it all.

“But now?” Ruffnut finished, shrugging her shoulders and getting to her feet.

“You guys read,” Snotlout said, shoving back from the table, “I'll go kill stuff.” The others followed until only Anstred was left at the table. Hiccup stood and approached, wary but hopeful.

“So I guess we'll share?” she asked, trying to be casual. Anstred shoved the book at her and stood up.

“Read it,” he scoffed, heading for the door.

“All mine then,” Hiccup said quietly, touching the book to keep it on the table. “I guess I'll see you guys--” The door slammed behind Anstred and her shoulders slumped. “Tomorrow,” she finished with a sigh. She waited until everyone left, not needing the distraction of snoring or “helpful” hints about the dragons she was going to be reading about. Gathering candles, she settled at the table and opened the book to begin reading. _Dragon Classifications: Strike class, Fear class, Mystery Class._ Hiccup could already tell it was going to be a long night. _Thunderdrum: this dragon inhabits sea caves and dark tide pools. When startled, the Thunderdrum produces a concussive sound than can kill a man at close range. Extremely dangerous, kill on sight._

_Timberjack: this gigantic creature has razor-sharp wings that can slice through full-grown trees. Extremely dangerous, kill on sight._

_Scauldron: sprays scalding water at it's victim. Extremely dangerous._ Given the reading material, it came as no surprise that she jumped, crying out, when the door slammed open in the wind. Turning back to the book, she moved on to the next page.

_Changewing: even newly hatched dragons can spray acid. Kill on sight._ She flipped pages, coming across the Gronckle, Zippleback, Skrill, Bone Knapper and Whispering Death. _Burns its victims, buries its victims, chokes its victims, turns its victims inside out- gross! Extremely dangerous, extremely dangerous. Kill on sight, kill on sight, kill on sight._ On the last page was the entry she was looking for. _Night Fury: speed unknown, size unknown. The unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. Never engage this dragon. Your only chance: hide and pray it does not find you._

Taking her journal from her belt, she opened it to the drawing she'd done and put it on the book. She wondered, briefly, if she should add her drawing to the book. Shaking her head, she knew it would be a bad idea. Not only would it lead to questions she didn't want to answer, but it was possible she'd get in trouble for doing so. Heaving a sigh, she closed her journal and the book before shoving herself to her feet to go home.

Hiccup knew she'd have trouble getting to sleep tonight. Dragons and their victims would feature prominently in her dreams.

* * *

The next morning, the Kill Ring had been set up to resemble a maze. Wooden walls created halls and blind corners, representing the walls of homes they would one day defend against dragons. Gobber stood, leaning against the fence that circled the Ring. Hiccup stood below him, trying to stay out of the way.

“I noticed the book didn't have anything on Night Furies,” Hiccup called up to him, ax in one hand and shield in the other. “Is there another book, a sequel or maybe a Night Fury pamphlet?” She jumped with a cry of surprise when a fireball took the head of her ax clean off. She ran deeper into the maze to escape the Nadder that was closing in on her, taking advantage of her being distracted. The Nadder was using the tops of the walls to chase them, jumping from one to another.

“Focus, Hiccup. You're not even trying. Today is about attack!” Gobber shouted to the teens, hiding from the Nadder that stalked them. “Nadders are quick and light on their feet. Your job is to be quicker and lighter.” The Nadder spotted Fishlegs and shot the spikes from its tail at him. He raised his shield and caught most of them, the others burying themselves in the wall behind him as he ran.

“I'm really beginning to question your teaching methods,” he shouted as he bounced off a wall to round a corner and escape.

“Look for its blind spot,” Gobber advised, scratching at one cheek. “Every dragon has one. Find it, hide in it, and strike!” Hiccup glanced back to see the twins standing right in front of the dragon, Ruffnut behind Tuffnut, as they tried to get around it, but the Nadder moved with them.

“Do you ever bathe?” she asked, breathing through her mouth to try and avoid the smell coming off her twin.

“You don't like it, just get your own blind spot.” He shoved her backward in annoyance. She didn't exactly smell like a basket of rose petals, either.

“How about I give you one?” she shot back, shoving him before going in for a headbutt. Right about then, the dragon noticed them. They saw it open its mouth to breathe fire and dove out of the way just in time.

“Blind spot, yes. Deaf spot . . . not so much.” Hiccup came by and slowed to a stop in front of him.

“So how would one sneak up a Night Fury?” she asked, still holding the handle of her ax in one hand. Gobber put a hand to his forehead in exasperation.

“No one's ever met one and lived to tell the tale,” he told her, shoving down his impatience. “Now get in there!”

“I know, but hypothetically,” she started as she backed up, only to hear Anstred whisper her name sharply. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Anstred and Snotlout crouched at a corner, waiting for the Nadder to look away so they could get passed it.

“Get down,” he told her, his voice a harsh whisper. She joined them, and when Anstred then Snotlout rolled across the opening, she tried to follow. Unfortunately, her shield yanked her back down and clanged against the ground, drawing the Nadder's attention. Jumping to her feet, she dodged out of the way just as its jaws snapped shut at where she'd been only a second before.

Running with the others, she paused in front of Gobber again. “They probably take the day time off, you know? Like a cat,” she offered, ignoring everything else going on around her. She didn't notice Snotlout trying once again to best Anstred and enraging the Nadder to the point where it started knocking down walls in order to get to them.

“Hiccup!” Gobber shouted, pointing behind her. She heard Anstred calling her name as he fell off a wall he'd climbed in hopes of escaping the Nadder closing in on him. She was knocked to the ground when he landed on her, his ax buried in her shield. Luckily, it caught the steel ring and didn't pass through her arm. The Nadder was buried in the wreckage of the fallen walls, unable to stop fast enough when Anstred landed.

“Love on the battlefield,” she heard Tuffnut say from somewhere off to one side.

“He could do a lot better,” Ruffnut added with a chuckle as the two tried to extricate themselves from the tangle of limbs that occurred. Finally, Anstred put a hand on her chest and shoved himself to his feet. Hiccup blushed, acutely aware of his hand had just been, and missed the Nadder that was running toward them.

Anstred, however, was doing his best to get his ax out of Hiccup's shield, but it was too deep. With a yank, he got the shield loose from Hiccup's arm and smashed it across the Nadder's face, hitting it square in the jaw. It stumbled away, probably back to its cage, dazed from the pain.

“Well done, Anstred,” Gobber called as he made his way down to the ring to lock the Nadder back up. He turned back to the girl curled on the ground behind him and glared down at her.

“Is this some kind of a joke to you?” he demanded, holding his ax and what was left of her shield in one hand. “Our parents' war is about to become ours. Figure out which side you're on!” Hiccup could only stare after him in shock. She'd never expected him to be so harsh with her, but she supposed she deserved it. Anstred was giving his all to this, while she was going about it halfheartedly at best. Getting to her feet, she went home to grab a fish and a fresh shield before making her way into the forest.

* * *

After searching around the cove, Hiccup found a way in closer to the ground. Dark and narrow, she almost wished she'd left the shield at home. She stopped just before the entrance and ducked behind the shield, tossing the fish over the top. Waiting to hear it snapped up, she peeked over the top of the shield to see it still laying where it landed. Keeping the shield in front of her, she stepped out into the light but bumped into the shield when it wedged itself in the narrow opening. Jerking it to try and get it free, it stayed stuck fast so she ducked under it to try from the other side. It wasn't going anywhere, so she just sighed and left it alone, reminding herself to get it later. Gathering up the fish, she held it in one hand as she looked around, hoping the dragon was still there. It didn't immediately appear, and she almost gave up when there was a growl from behind and above her.

The dragon slid down the rock it had been hiding behind, eyeing her and the fish with equal amounts of distrust for each. Shaking, she held it out away from her body. The dragon crept closer, hunger outweighing its caution, when it jumped back with a low growl. Hiccup moved her vest aside to reveal the dagger that was tucked into her belt. The dragon growled and dropped into a crouch, ready to pounce should she make a threatening move. Moving slowly, she reached for it but stopped when it snarled at her. Gathering her courage, she drew it and dropped it to one side. The dragon motioned with its head toward the pond and she got the idea.

It took a little finesse, but she got it onto her boot and kicked it into the water. Once it was gone, the dragon dropped to its haunches and licked its lips. Hiccup held out the fish again and it crept slowly closer, mouth open for the fish. Looking into its mouth, she noticed something. “Toothless,” she said, seeing only pink gums. “Could have sworn you had--” Teeth snapped into place and the fish was out of her hands and down the dragon's throat before she could finish. Jerking her hands back, she finished on a whimper. “Teeth.”

The dragon walked toward her, sniffing in hopes of more fish, an almost curious croon coming from its throat. She backed up until she hit a boulder. “No, no, no,” she told it, cowering back when it towered over her, “I don't have any more.” Suddenly, the dragon squinted and made a strange noise. Opening its mouth, it deposited half the fish in her lap before dropping back to sit on its hind legs. They looked at each other as Hiccup straightened a little and lifted the slimy fish off her lap. The staring continued until the dragon glanced from the fish back to her. She looked down at the fish then back up at it, shocked at the idea that popped into her head. “Oh, no,” she muttered when the dragon looked from the fish to her again. Steeling herself, she lifted it and took a bite, barely holding back a shudder at the taste. Holding it in her mouth, she pretended it was the best thing she'd ever eaten, only to groan when the dragon swallowed. She could only hope she didn't throw up after this, and swallowed quickly. Shuddering, she looked back up at the dragon, seeing it lick its lips, something like approval in its gaze.

She smiled and was astonished when the dragon tried to mimic her expression. Setting the fish to one side, she slowly started to get up, one hand reaching toward the dragon. It snarled and took off, gliding to the other side of the pond. Turning in a circle, it set fire to the ground and settled, ignoring her now. A bird in the tree above twittered, drawing his attention as it took off, and the dragon watched it fly away almost wistfully. When it looked down, it saw her sitting not far away and groaned. Shifting around, it drew its tail over its head, hoping she'd go away.

Still seated, Hiccup inched closer and reached out to feel its tail. Right before she could, the dragon lifted it and glared at her. Jumping to her feet, she walked in one direction while the dragon stood and went the other. It hung itself from a root by its tail, wrapping its wings around its body to, hopefully, get some undisturbed rest. Hiccup left it alone, resting on a boulder and doodling in the dirt with a stick.

Only vaguely aware of how much time passed, she was surprised when she felt the dragon behind her. Not looking at it, she started to draw again, this time drawing the dragon's head as it crooned in curiosity. She sighed when she heard it walk away, but that quickly changed to shock when it came back, holding a large branch in its mouth, leaves still on one side. Dragging it, the dragon carved lines into the dirt around her, twisting and turning. Once, it passed behind her only to smack her with the leaves before lifting its head, looking at her and making a dot before moving on. When it was finished, it dropped the branch and nodded in satisfaction.

She stood to get a better look, and could only gape. It was impressive, but made no sense that she could see. Not paying attention, she stopped when she heard a growl. Looking from the dragon to her foot, she noticed she'd stepped on one of the lines. Lifting her foot, the dragon went from growling to a sound like a purr. Impishly, she put her foot down again and the noise changed back to a growl until she lifted it. She did it one more time, just to tease the dragon, before she put her arms out for balance and danced her way free of the drawing.

When a puff of air down the back of her neck stopped her, she looked over her shoulder to see she'd almost bumped into the dragon behind her. Unable to stop herself, she reached out to touch it, but stopped when it growled again. This time, she closed her eyes and turned her head away, holding her hand out and hoping it wouldn't get bitten off. She jolted when she felt something, like a spark, touch her hand, but quickly looked up to see the dragon had touched its nose to her hand. Its scales were warm against her palm and surprisingly soft. It opened its eyes to meet hers, growling once it saw she was still touching it and flew away.

Hiccup felt something she'd never felt before, and it scared her. That spark had been something she'd never expected, and it almost looked like the dragon had felt the same. She didn't think she'd be able to explain it to anyone, but when they looked at each other, something had passed between them. More than just an offer of friendship, this went deeper than she was ready for.

Seeing the sun was almost down, she gasped and ran for the cleft in the wall, ducking under the shield and running for the village as fast as she could. Gobber wanted them to meet on one of the watchtowers tonight, and she was going to be late. Something, though, told her that she wouldn't be able to outrun what had just happened in the cove. It was going to change her life as she knew it, if it hadn't already, and she didn't know what she was going to do about it.

The Night Fury watched after her, just as confused that it was even possible for a dragon and a human to bond as they had. It had never happened as far as he knew, and now, he was stuck with the odd little hatchling. Something like this usually only happened between family members or, even rarer, mates. Though the little one was female, he could tell that they weren't mates. It wasn't that kind of bond. The bond made them family, somehow, and now, they were stuck with each other and would have to make the best of it.

She was such an unusual creature! That small human had brought him down to earth, leaving him unable to move or free himself for hours. When she stood over him with that tiny claw in her hand and threatened to kill him, he had accepted his death, unable to prevent it, but instead, she'd freed him. He'd roared at her to stay away from him, but she came back, anyway. Yesterday, she'd stayed far enough away to study him, even though she probably knew he could have killed her with his fire if he wished to.

Something about her, though, drew him, made him want to get to know the tiny hatchling as nothing else did. The bond they shared now would ensure that he learned of her just as she learned of him, and he would have to wait and see what happened next.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiccup and Toothless come to a deeper understanding after taking flight for the first time.

She barely heard Gobber's lecture about being late, her mind still focused on what had happened earlier. Everyone else had already gotten there and grabbed seats to cook their food. Idly taking a fish and skewering it, she sat and kept an eye on it as she cooked it over the brazier. It was a remarkably clear night, the stars bright above them, and she had a stray thought about what it would be like to soar among them.

“And with one twist, he took my hand and swallowed it whole,” Gobber was saying, but Hiccup was barely paying attention. The story he was telling had gotten old after the twelfth time she'd heard it, so she allowed her mind to wander to what had happened earlier. Idly cooking a fish on the fire in front of her, she instead wondered what that spark was and what it might mean for her and the dragon. One thing was sure, the dragon needed to tell her its name or she'd have to give it one because she couldn't keep calling it 'the dragon' or 'it'. “I could tell by the look on his face: I was delicious. He must have passed the word because it wasn't a month before another one of them took my leg.”

“Isn't it weird to think that your hand was inside a dragon?” Fishlegs asked, two enormous legs clutched in his hands. “Like if your mind was still in control of it, you could have killed the dragon from inside by crushing its heart or something.”

“I'm so angry right now,” Snotlout growled, trying to sound impressive but failing. “I'll avenge your beautiful hand and your beautiful foot. I'll chop of the legs of every dragon I see . . . with my face.” Hiccup scoffed, adding it to the already long list of reasons her cousin was an idiot. Did he expect to bite the leg off or something? _Sucking up,_ she told herself with a shake of her head. _Anything to look good to those above him._

“No, it's the wings and tails you really want,” Gobber told him, prying a wing of his chicken loose and waving it for emphasis. “If it can't fly, it can't get away. A downed dragon, is a dead dragon.” Hiccup gasped, realizing that the missing tailfin was the reason the dragon was still in the cove. If it could have flown away, it would have. With a little ingenuity, she could fix something up to allow it to fly again. Gobber yawned, stretching his arms above his head. “All right, I'm off to bed,” he said, lowering his chicken and gesturing at the teens with it. “You should be, too. Tomorrow, we'll get to the big boys, slowly but surely working our way up to the Monstrous Nightmare. But who'll win the honor of killing it?”

Hiccup could hear the other teen talking, but she didn't notice what they said. Getting to her feet, she left her untouched fish leaning against the brazier and made her way down the ramp. She had work to do, and the sooner she got started, the sooner she could correct her mistake.

Anstred looked up when she heard footsteps going down the ramp to see Hiccup's fish laying to one side of the fire but no Hiccup. Getting up, he looked down to see her heading down the ramp at a run, disappearing into the darkness, and only shook his head at the odd girl. Ignoring the twins bickering and Snotlout's sucking up, he sat back down and thought about what had happened earlier. Hiccup had been gone when he went to the smithy to apologize for touching her . . . Hoping the fading light hid his blush, he clenched that hand into a fist. What he'd said to her still stood, but it was only right that he apologize for touching her inappropriately. It was too late to do it now, as they all had to get to bed and rest before training tomorrow, so he reminded himself to do it either before or after training.

Hiccup worked long into the night on the replacement tailfin, scavenging broken weapons and shields for the parts she needed. Mentally thanking Anstred's mother for teaching her how to sew, she quickly attached the leather to the spokes of metal that would hold the fin in position. She opened it and compared it to the drawings she'd made, nodded once in satisfaction and closed it. Hiding it for tomorrow, she went home to get what sleep she could before heading back to the cove to try it out.

She got up early enough the next morning that she could get a basket of fish for the dragon, test the fin and make it to training. The basket was heavier than she'd thought, and only seemed to get heavier the farther from the village she got, while the tailfin was awkward to carry under one arm. Heaving a sigh, she knew she couldn't go back yet. She needed to test the fin to make it sure it worked properly and the dragon was probably starving. He'd probably eaten the other half of the fish after she left, but one wasn't enough for a dragon his size.

When she finally reached the cove, she knew she wouldn't have much time for the test as she'd like, but she'd do what she could. “Hey, Toothless,” she called, having decided on the name as she trudged through the forest. Unless they found a better way to communicate, Toothless would have to do for now. He was curled by the wall in the shade, but looked up when she dropped the basket. “I brought breakfast. Hope you're hungry.” With a grunt, she shoved the basket over with one foot so the fish spilled out. “That's disgusting. We've got some salmon, some nice Icelandic cod, and a whole smoked eel.”

He jolted back when he spotted the eel. With black and yellow stripes, it looked harmless enough to Hiccup, but when she picked it up, Toothless backed away warily, snarling and with a fearful look in his eye. “No, no, no,” she told him, tossing the eel away, unconsciously reaching out to calm him. He growled at her hand and she wiped it on her vest, realizing it still smelled of the eel. “Yeah, I don't really like eel much, either.” With the evil eel gone, Toothless dug into the pile of fish at his feet. “That's it. Don't mind me,” she murmured, circling around behind him while he was distracted by the feast. “I'll just be back here, minding my own business.” She set the tail on the ground beside his, but every time she tried to attach it, he'd shift his tail away. Finally, she grabbed on and held it down with one hand while reaching for the prosthetic with the other. She got it almost in place when she was jerked forward by Toothless as he drove his head into the basket, looking for more fish.

Straddling his tail, she kept it in place while she attached the prosthetic, not noticing that Toothless was spreading his wings and preparing to launch himself into the air. Opening the fin when she was finished buckling it in place, she compared it to the real one. “Not too bad,” she muttered to herself, one hand on her chin while she studied it. “It works.” She was reaching to undo it when Toothless took to the air. Holding on to his tail for dear life, she only hoped that the crash that was sure to follow wouldn't hurt too badly.

Toothless started to fall, roaring in frustration at once again being denied flight and definitely not looking forward to crashing into the ground again. Suddenly, instead of going down, he was going up, back into the sky he adored.

Hiccup had opened the tailfin, knowing it wasn't doing either of them any good just flapping in the breeze, and was stunned when they didn't crash. “It's working!” she cried, watching the ground get farther away as Toothless continued to climb. Shifting the fin a little, she was shocked when he banked in a wide turn, heading back to the cove. Paying more attention to the prosthetic than her surroundings, she didn't notice they were over the pond now. “Yes, I did it!”

Toothless glanced back, saw her and whipped his tail around hard in annoyance. She lost her grip and splashed into the water after skipping like a stone twice before sinking. Only seconds later, he was in the water himself. He realized then that if he wanted to fly, he would need the hatchling. His tailfin hadn't grown back, she'd made one for him. The only way to fly would be to work together. As he surfaced, shaking the water from his nose, he saw her pop up with an excited expression on her face.

He helped her back to shore, barely registering the fact that she promised to be back later and settled in the sun to warm up after shaking off most of the water. Looking up at the blue sky above him, he only hoped they would fly again soon. He did have to admit, though, that she'd handled her first flight rather well . . . once she finished screaming.

* * *

Remembering Toothless' reaction to the eel, she had picked it up on her way back to the village, not sure what she'd do with it, but hoping it would come in handy. The day was warm enough that by the time she made it to the Kill Ring, she was almost completely dry. Unfortunately, though, she was late and got a lecture from Gobber about being on time while the others, especially the twins and Snotlout, laughed at her. He led them into the ring, handed everyone a bucket and paired them off: Anstred and Ruffnut, Tuffnut and Snotlout and Fishlegs and Hiccup. “Today is all about teamwork,” he told them as the cage holding the Zippleback opened with an explosion. “A wet dragon head can't light its fire.” Grayish green gas began pouring out, obstructing their vision. “The Hideous Zippleback is extra tricky. One head breaths gas, the other head lights it. Your job is to know which is which.”

“Razor-sharp serrated teeth inject venom for pre-digestion,” Fishlegs muttered, clearly nervous and spouting dragon statistics to keep his mind off it. “Prefers ambush attacks, crushing its victims--”

“Will you please stop that?” Hiccup hissed, only getting more nervous with each word out of the larger boy's mouth. They stood back to back, and Hiccup could feel him shaking a little at the knowledge the dragon was somewhere in the gas.

“If that dragon shows either of it's faces,” Snotlout stated, trying to sound tough even though he was shaking inside, “I'm going to-- There!” A shadow had appeared in the gas, the shape distorted enough that he mistook it for the dragon. He and Tuffnut tossed their buckets, only for the gas to clear just enough to show Anstred and Ruffnut.

“It's us, idiots!” she said, dripping wet and spitting mad at her brother.

“Your butt is getting bigger,” Tuffnut replied, making Snotlout look at him in disbelief. “We thought you were a dragon.”

“Not that there's anything wrong with a dragonesque figure,” Snotlout hastened to assure Anstred, but was cut off by Anstred's fist to his face as Tuffnut got his sister's bucket to his. As he sat up, something grabbed him and dragged him back into the gas. Ruffnut stepped toward where he'd been, intent on going to find him, but Anstred held her back.

“Wait,” he told her when she looked at him, listening hard for movement, but it was covered by Tuffnut's cries. They were both knocked flat when the dragon's tail took their feet out from under them, spilling Anstred's bucket. Tuffnut went running passed them, trampling his sister on his way by.

“I'm hurt! I'm very much hurt!”

“Chances of survival are dwindling into single digits now,” Fishlegs said with a definite quiver in his voice. Out of the gas came one of the heads, the horn curving sharply back towards its face. Moving almost like a snake, it drew closer, focused on Fishlegs. Gripping his bucket, he doused the head only for it to open its mouth showing it was the gas head. “Whoops. Wrong head.” It breathed the gas at him and he ran with a girlish scream of fear.

“Fishlegs!” Gobber hollered to bring him in the right direction before he smashed into a wall and knocked himself out. The other head emerged, teeth sparking as Hiccup stood alone, bucket clenched tight in her hands. “Now, Hiccup!” She tossed the water, but the head pulled back out of reach and she was drenched . . . again.

“Come on,” she groaned as the heads looked at each other, a laughing glint in their eyes before coming back down. She backed away as the spark head growled and its wings flared as it drew closer. Tripping over her own feet, she went down hard on her butt.

“Hiccup!” Gobber called, rushing forward to intervene only to stop in shock when the dragon suddenly backed away from Hiccup. She stood and held her hands out to the dragon.

“Back,” she commanded and it backed up, almost as if afraid of her. “Back, back, back! Don't make me tell you again!” She kept going until it was back in its cage, practically climbing the walls to get away from her. “Now think about what you've done.” She tossed the eel she'd hidden under her vest into the cage and shut the doors. Turning, she saw the others staring at her like they'd never seen her before. Fishlegs dropped his empty bucket in shock. “So, are we done?” she asked casually, as if what had just happened was no big deal. “I have some things I need to do, so yeah. See you tomorrow!”

She went straight to the forge to begin work on a saddle for Toothless. Hiccup had reached the same conclusion as he had, and knew that if they were going to fly together, she couldn't keep holding on to his tail. They needed something better, and the first thing that came to mind was a saddle. Working through dinner, she finally finished around midnight. Setting it on the floor, she studied it. Simple enough to be adjusted or added to if necessary, it would do for now.

Taking it with her the next morning, she wound up chasing Toothless around the cove. He'd taken one look at the saddle and taken off running, leading her on a merry chase until she finally managed to convince him that wearing it would help him fly. Once it was on, she tied a rope to the tailfin and they took off. They both wound up in the pond when the tailfin opened too far, causing Toothless to twist out from under her. Hiccup took the saddle back to the forge and added hooks, one on each side and made a belt for herself with tethers on either side to keep her attached.

Their next flight wasn't much better. She'd tied the rope to her ankle this time, but Toothless' flight was uneven and jerked her around. Trying to smooth them out, she pulled her foot closer to her body, only for them to crash in a field of tall grass. Somehow, she landed on her feet and came to a running stop. Looking around, she spotted Toothless rolling in the grass like a dog, moaning in bliss as he sniffed the grass. Taking some, she sniffed it and noticed it smelled a bit like catnip. Putting it in her pocket for later, she managed to drag him out of the grass and back to the cove where he promptly fell asleep.

With nothing to do until Toothless woke up, and not ready to go back to the village, she sat down against his side and sketched about how to improve the saddle and fin to make it easier for them to fly. _Pedals, maybe,_ she thought, idly stroking the leg closest to her as she tried to work out just how it might be made. She gasped in surprise when a feeling of extreme happiness washed over her. Knowing she wasn't the one feeling that way, she looked down at the hand that had frozen on Toothless' leg. Closing her eyes, she focused on the feeling.

_He climbed higher and higher, reaching for the stars, the Dragoness of the Moon shining with an ethereal light. No dragon he knew of had ever reached them, but it was fun trying. The stars glittered like the rocks he sometimes saw in the nest as they caught the light from the fires of the earth. He didn't even feel the cold wind that blew around him, or even notice the dragons that flew with him. He was flying again! Nothing was better than that, except maybe a full stomach and a warm nest to sleep in after flying all night._

Hiccup lifted her hand and the feelings and images stopped immediately. “What was that?” she asked herself, almost afraid to touch him again. Toothless shifted behind her and she looked up at him. His pupils were still slightly dilated, thanks to the dragon-nip, but he was aware of where he was again.

_I miss flying,_ he told her, touching his nose to her cheek in gratitude that she'd stayed with him. She jumped up with a startled cry. His 'voice' was lighter than she expected, but what scared her the most was that she could understand him.

“Did you do that?” she demanded, backing away from him a little. If he could do that, what else could he do?

_You felt the spark when we touched the first time, didn't you?_ Toothless asked, getting to his feet and stretching. She nodded warily, unsure of where he was going with this. _We're bonded, Hiccup._

“Bonded? What does that mean?”

_We're family, hatchling,_ he growled as he saw a look of horror cross her face, _not mates. The bond we have only forms between family and only rarely between mates. This doesn't feel like a mate-bond to me._

“What's the difference?”

_I feel no urges towards you. Dragon of the Sun, Hiccup,_ he grumbled, exasperation heavy in his tone, _do you really think I'm that kind of monster?_

“Never!” she cried, horrified at the thought that she had offended him in some way. “I just don't understand this, Toothless.”

_Sit down and I'll try to explain._ She sat down on a rock and he settled not far away, keeping his eyes on her to watch her expressions. It wasn't really necessary as he could feel her conflicting emotions, but he thought it would help ground her a little. She was afraid of this connection between them as she didn't know what it meant, and worried that it could change into a mate-bond without her knowing about it. _Bonds deepen, but never change, Hiccup,_ he assured her, making her gasp at the realization that he could feel her emotions. _You're not a dragon, so the mate-bond wouldn't form between us. We seem, however, to be kindred souls. I am alone among dragon-kind._

“I didn't know that,” she whispered, feeling his loneliness wash over now. “Are you sure?”

_I search each new nest I came across, but have never found another Night Fury. Even my nest-mates are gone now._ He felt her sympathy flow over him like a warm current of air and basked in it. _Do not worry so, little one,_ he told her with a burst of amusement. _I'm sure there are some out there, and will continue to look, but not yet._

“Sorry, bud,” she replied with a sigh. “Maybe we can look together sometime, after we get better at flying.”

_You have a big heart, my Hiccup,_ he laughed gently, reaching out with a wing to ruffle her hair, _but we'll be here all night if we don't talk about this._ She laughed too, and straightened the hair he'd just messed up. He explained that he didn't know much about bonds like theirs, as it had never happened between a dragon and human before, but that it allowed them access to the other's thoughts and emotions. It wouldn't work over large distances, but it could be done if they worked at it. Certain things could be locked away if they wished, but the feeling of there being secrets would give them out to the other half of the bond. She asked about the eel, and he shuddered at the reminder, explaining that it made dragons sick, sometimes causing them to see things that weren't there or not see things that were.

“What's your name?” she asked as she got ready to leave. “I don't want to keep calling you Toothless if you have another.” The impression she got as an answer was a bit hard to put into words: scale-dark-fast-screech-hot was the best she could do. It seemed dragons used impressions of themselves and their particular breed as a name, instead of words as humans did. She wondered what her name might be if Toothless ever thought about it, but decided to wait until another time to ask him.

_I like Toothless, Hiccup. Feel free to call me that._ He nudged her in the direction of the cleft in the rock face. _Go. You need to sleep, my Hiccup. I'll be here in the morning._

“Good night, bud,” she said, brushing a hand along his nose in farewell.

_Good night, little one._


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just really quick, I want to thank everyone who has favorited, followed, and reviewed this. I honestly never expected this kind of response, and can only wish that I could express my gratitude with cookies or hugs or something. Since this is the internet, I can only say a huge THANK YOU!!!!

The next morning, they faced the Gronckle again. Gobber explained that after the last time, they needed to work on their attacks. Only in the ring would they get a second chance, because in a real battle, any mistake could lead to being seriously injured or even killed. Hiccup stayed as far from the Gronckle as possible, trying to let the others take care of it, but it caught sight of her after knocking Snotlout flying.

Thinking quickly, she dug the dragon-nip out of her pocket and held it as far away from her body as possible. The dragon sniffed it then collapsed on the ground, pupils huge as it took immediate effect. One leg kicked like a dog getting its belly scratched as she rubbed its nose and drew her hand to the side. The Gronckle followed, rolling onto its side and laying there in bliss. Hiccup didn't notice the Elder watching from above them, she barely saw the other teens staring at her.

Once the Gronckle was back in its cage, useless until the dragon-nip wore off, Gobber released them for the rest of the day. As they left, all the other teens questioned how she'd done it. “I've never seen a Gronckle do that,” Snotlout said, turning to face her with a look of awe on his face.

“I left my ax back in the ring,” she stammered, nervous with all the attention she was suddenly getting. “You guys go on ahead. I'll catch up.” She turned to make her way back to the ring, only to nearly crash into Anstred. Jumping back, she edged around him. “I'll see you tomorrow!” Waving over her shoulder, she left them behind, not seeing Anstred glare at her in frustration. When she got to the cove later, she noticed Toothless trying to scratch against a tree before he moved to a rock.

_Hiccup,_ he cried in relief when he spotted her. _I could use some help here._ Laughing, she scratched his neck and shoulders, making him groan in ecstasy and tilt his body so she could reach other spots, too. He almost knocked her over when he shifted so she could scratch behind his ear flaps. When her hand went under his chin, though, he stiffened with an odd noise and dropped in a limp heap to the ground, eyes closed and moaning in contentment.

“Are you all right, bud?” she asked, crouching to check on him.

_Never better,_ he slurred in reply. _I'm going to take a little nap now._ If it wasn't for the impressive snore that followed, she would have thought he was joking. Heaving a sigh, she leaned against him and decided to take a little nap herself. She had been pulling long nights the last few days, and it was starting to tell on her. They dreamed together of flying, going high and fast to leave their troubles on the ground. Winging through the air that whipped Hiccup's braid behind her, they soared, alone but never lonely, the unparalleled masters of the sky, the moon and stars their only company.

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Facing the Nadder again was both a trial and a relief to Hiccup. Trial because it brought back what had happened the first time, and a relief because this time the arena was open with few places for the dragon to hide. The crowd watching from above grew every day, and Hiccup was starting to feel hemmed in by all her new admirers. She'd been hoping to remain unnoticed in the ring, doing just enough to keep from getting hurt or killed, but letting Anstred or even Snotlout do better. Learning more about dragons from Toothless, however changed that really quickly. Not only could she stop a dragon in its tracks without a weapon, but she hadn't counted on the scent of Night Fury that lingered on her body after spending so much time with him. It drew them to her, curious that a human could smell like the fiercest of all dragons and still be alive.

Hiccup watched as Anstred threw his ax at the Nadder. The Nadder deflected it with a toss of its head before running straight for Hiccup. Dropping the mace, she backed away before it stopped to sniff deeply of her scent. Hearing Anstred hollering out a battle cry and seeing him sprinting toward them with his ax back in his hands, Hiccup quickly scratched the Nadder's neck before hitting the spot on the chin that would knock it out. It dropped like she'd cut its legs out from under it, and over its limp body, Hiccup saw the look of stunned shock on Anstred's face as he stood there, ax raised but with no opponent.

Dinner that night was strange. When Hiccup entered the hall, no one seemed to pay her any mind and she was glad of it. As soon as she sat down, though, she was surrounded by her fellow trainees and adults alike, asking her to tell them her secrets. Mobbed as she was, she didn't notice Anstred slamming his cup down on the table in irritation at all the attention Hiccup was getting.

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_Come back here,_ Toothless laughed, chasing the little spot of light across the ground. _I only want to eat you!_ Hiccup bit her lip to keep from laughing at him and spoiling his fun as she shifted the hammer she'd brought with her to reflect the light further away. He pounced on it, sure he'd caught it, when he spotted it a few feet in front of him. Lunging to his feet, he gave chase again.

She'd first noticed his obsession with the little spot a few minutes ago. After setting her hammer off to one side on a rock after making an adjustment to the saddle, she looked up to see him chasing a bright dot around. The sun was shining today and it caught the reflective surface of the hammer just right. Picking it up, she wiggled it and watched him track it with intensely focused eyes. It's one way for him to get exercise while I'm fixing the saddle, she thought to herself, enjoying watching him almost as much as he enjoyed chasing the light.

_Hiccup!_ Toothless groaned, looking up and seeing what she was doing. _That's not very nice!_

“Isn't teasing what family does, bud?” she asked with a cheeky grin. His response was to drop into a stalking crouch and leap at her. Jumping up with a laughing shriek, she ran while he gave chase. He stayed far enough away for her to feel like she had a chance of escaping, but close enough to help if she got into trouble. “It was really cute, Toothless,” she insisted, switching directions much quicker than she usually did.

_Ha! I'll show you cute, my Hiccup!_ He pounced, wrapping her in his wings to cushion the trip to the ground. When they landed, he bathed her face in slobber, knowing how much she didn't like it, even going so far as to make her bangs stick straight up on her head.

“That's gross, bud!” she cried, shoving her way free. He let her get away with it, waiting until she was on her feet before grabbing the back of her vest and dangling her over the pond. “All right, I'm sorry, Toothless,” she told him, trying to get her vest loose without being dropped into the cold water. He chuckled around the fur in his mouth before dropping her on the bank so she could wash up. “You know that doesn't wash out.”

_Which is why I do it,_ he answered, smug grin firmly in place. _Is it ready yet?_ They hadn't been flying in a few days and he was getting anxious to be in the air again. His Hiccup though, was a bit of a perfectionist and wanted to be sure everything worked properly before they tried it out.

“Almost,” she laughed, understanding his impatience with being stuck on the ground. She didn't like it much, either, but she didn't want to test the new pedals in the open until she'd worked out the proper positions, along with not wanting to risk hurting either of them if they crashed. “A few more days.”

_Very well,_ he sighed as she stood to remove the saddle so he could sleep without discomfort. _Can I ask you something, Hiccup?_

“Of course.”

_Would you spend the night out here with me?_ She stopped, the saddle half-way off, and he could feel the questions buzzing in her mind. _I get lonely, and wish to have company, even if you're asleep._

“I'll be here, bud,” she told him, finishing removing the saddle and giving him a quick scratch. “I miss you when I'm at home, and find myself wishing I could bring you with me so there's someone else in the house.”

_Your sire has still not returned?_ She shook her head and leaned against his shoulder, taking comfort in his presence.

“I'm not too worried about him, but he's a large man and fills the house when he's home. When he's not, it feels almost too big for just me.”

_I see._ He nudged her to get her moving. Go, Hiccup. The sooner you get started, the sooner you'll return. Patting him in farewell, she left him to go to the forge to get a little work on the saddle done before dinner. Hiccup managed to sneak away from the village a few hours later, a blanket wrapped around a change of clothes with some bread and cheese for breakfast. She'd made the trip to and from the village so many times she was sure she could do it blindfolded.

She smiled when she saw that Toothless had gathered wood and lit it, even though she probably wouldn't need it. Wrapped in his wings and her blanket, she'd be sweating before long. “Thanks, bud,” she told him, unrolling her blanket beside the fire.

_You're welcome, Hiccup,_ he replied, curling around her until she was ready to fall asleep. His little human was frail, and he'd do whatever it took to keep her safe. _The stars are bright tonight._

“Yeah.” She stretched out to look up at them, resting her head on her hands. “Almost don't need a fire to see by.” He laughed and made a comment about it being enough if she was a dragon, but she just shrugged. They watched the stars in silence for a while before she spoke again. “I don't know if I can take this, bud.”

_What do you mean?_

“This hero worship that the villagers are giving me,” she replied, keeping her eyes on the stars. “I mean, so what if I can stop an attacking dragon with a scratch in the right place? Anyone can if they just took the time to really learn about dragons.”

_Not everyone is as curious as you, little one._ He was pretty sure that was a good thing. If there was a whole village of Hiccups, he wasn't sure he'd make it through a day without feeling like he'd eaten an eel. His little Hiccup was smart as a whip, but jeopardy friendly didn't even cover how much of klutz she could be when she wasn't paying attention.

“I feel like I'm cheating, though. Everything I know, I've learned from you. How fair is it to not just the other trainees, but to the village that if it ever came to a real fight, I might just run and hide like a coward when they'd expect me to be a big hero.” She lowered one hand and gestured to herself with it. “I don't think I'm strong enough, or big enough, for that.”

_My Hiccup, you have enough brains for the entire village,_ he growled, furious at her for speaking such things about herself. His human might be odd, but she was his, and he wouldn't stand for her putting herself down this way. If you can out think your enemy, you can defeat them without using a single weapon.

“But, Toothless--”

_No buts! You're not cheating in this training they insist you do, you're saving yourself from harm. Just leave it at that._ She hadn't thought about it that way before, and it seemed it took a kick in the butt from her best friend to make her see it.

“Thanks, Toothless,” she whispered, putting a hand on his nose and giving it a gentle rub. He purred, happy he'd been able to help, and waited until she fell asleep to wrap his wings around her, blanket and all. Bringing her close to his body, he kept her warm and watched over her dreams.

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After that first night, Hiccup could usually be found sleeping in Toothless' embrace. She couldn't remember feeling safer or more cared for, and it made him feel like he was doing something while waiting for the saddle to be finished. She finally had the pedals ready to be attached, but it meant modifying the tail a little and that took another day. _Will we go flying today, Hiccup?_ Toothless asked once she was finished attaching all the new components. She'd kept him still with another basket of fish, but he'd told her that she didn't need to do that anymore: all she had to do was ask. Hiccup was positive that he'd turn himself inside out if she asked him to, and was more than willing to do the same for him.

“Yes, impatient one,” she laughed, looking over her handiwork. “We'll fly today. I've got somewhere in mind, so don't be upset if we don't head out to sea right away, all right?”

_Got it,_ he assured her, giving her a shove in the direction of the village. She had training to get to today, and the sooner she finished, the sooner they'd be in the air again. _See you later, little one._

“See you, Toothless,” she called back as she ran for the entrance. “Be good!” He snorted in response to that: while she wasn't there, he caught up on the sleep he missed at night or tried to puzzle out the mystery that was his little human. Sometimes, he was sure he almost had the answer, but then she'd throw him for a loop again. Chuckling to himself, he settled on his favorite rock to greet the rising sun, reminding himself that humans, particularly female ones, were a constant mystery and would take more than one lifetime to unravel.

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“Meet the Terrible Terror.” Despite the size of the door, the dragon that emerged was tiny, barely larger than a house cat. Ferocious, though, if the screams coming from Tuffnut were anything to go by. The tiny dragon had latched onto his nose with an impressive growl for so small a creature and was doing its best to chew it off.

While the others stood by, unsure of how to attack the dragon without hurting Tuffnut, Hiccup used the center of her shield to create a light just under the dragon's eye before directing it to the ground. Distracted from chewing up Tuffnut, it let go of his nose and chased the light back to the cage. “Wow, she's better than you ever were,” Tuffnut said to Anstred, rubbing his extremely red nose. Hiccup pressed her foot against the smaller door to keep it in and shot a smile over her shoulder at the other trainees.

“Well done, Hiccup,” Gobber told her as he lowered the lever to close the cage. “You're all dismissed for the day.” It was by far the fastest they'd ever gotten out of the ring, and Hiccup followed the others as they made their way back to the village. She needed some things before she went back to Toothless, and wanted to stop by the forge and see if Gobber needed her to help with the backlog of work that was always piling up. It was another thing that kept her from finishing the adjustments to the saddle and fin anytime sooner: the amount of work that piled up during raids was often left half-finished or untouched due to having to ward off another raid the next night. 

Going by the forge first, Gobber let her know that she was free for the rest of the afternoon as he'd caught up with the work after he released her yesterday, seeing as how there were no dragon raids the last couple of weeks or so. After thanking him, she dashed home for a change of clothes and a stout length of rope. Carrying the bundle in one arm, she made her way through the forest. Her plan for the day taking up most of her attention, she didn't notice Anstred was practicing his ax throwing until it almost hit her in the head.

“Hiccup, what are you doing out here?” he demanded, knowing very well what might have happened if she was only a step closer to the tree and about an inch taller.

“N-n-nothing,” she stammered, eyes wide as she looked from the ax to him and back again. “Just enjoying the afternoon.”

“Hiccup, I wanted to apologize,” he said when she started to turn away, intent on going wherever it was she was going. She turned back to him, confusion drawing her brows lower of her emerald eyes.

“For what?”

“For what happened when I fell on you,” Anstred stammered, clearly embarrassed by having to discuss it. “I've been meaning to say something, but you take off so quickly after training that I haven't hand the chance until now.”

“Oh,” she breathed, looking away when her cheeks fired at the memory. “Don't worry about it. It was an accident.” With that, she took off running, managing to look somewhat graceful. Anstred tried to follow but lost her behind a boulder. Slamming his fist on it in frustration, he vowed that he'd find out where she went every day and how she had become so good in the ring if it was the last thing he did.

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Attached to a thick tree stump at the edge of a cliff, Toothless enjoyed the sea air that blew in his face as they hovered there. Hiccup had finished her most current round of modifications to the pedals and tail, and they were up here to test them out safely. Although he was desperate to be in the open sky again, Toothless knew that this was important to Hiccup and allowed himself to be tethered to the stump. A click came from the saddle and he felt the tailfin open, allowing them to drop safely back to the ground. Glancing back at Hiccup, he saw her sketching the position of the fin before she nodded and he opened his wings again.

Unfortunately for them both, the wind gusted right then and dragged them back. They jerked to a brief halt at the end the rope, only to have it snap, sending them both flying. When Toothless rolled to his feet, he heard Hiccup give a startled cry when she was lifted by her belt with him. Getting her feet under her, she examined the saddle to find one of the hooks had bent over and trapped the ring from her belt. They were stuck together until she could get it loose. “Great,” she mumbled to herself, wishing she'd remembered to bring her dagger. She could have cut herself loose and fixed it later that night. “We're going to have to go into the village to fix this, bud.”

_Later, Hiccup,_ he replied evenly, perfectly aware that they didn't need to be seen sneaking into the village in the middle of the day. We still have work to do. Sighing, she nodded and they made their way to the stump again.

As they waited for night to fall, they went back to work on the pedal positions, Toothless giving her advice on what each position would do when they took flight for the first time. Flat out would allow for them to fly straight, and angling the fin would turn them in either direction, depending on which way they wanted to go.

Once night fell, Toothless carried her to the outskirts of the village, a little nervous at being there but also curious about where Hiccup spent time when she wasn't with him. Spotting a sentry carrying a torch headed their way, Hiccup had Toothless duck back into the deeper shadows between the houses and quickly leaned against the wall, crossing her arms to hide as much of the harness as possible and her ankles to look casual. Waving at the sentry as he passed with a nod in her direction, she let out a relieved sigh when he continued on without stopping. Toothless stepped out of the shadows, looking around in curiosity, but a tug from Hiccup had him following after her.

Catching sight of a bucket, he leaned in to sniff at the contents. All he could smell was water, so he lifted his head only to find the bucket attached to his nose. He tossed his head and it flew off, landing with a crash somewhere nearby. Quiet! Hiccup hissed as she grabbed a left over rod from the saddle, hoping to bend the hook back in the right direction before anyone noticed them.

_Other than sentries, we're two of the few still awake, Hiccup,_ he told her with a smug grin. Hiccup wished he hadn't said that when Anstred called her name, drawn to the forge by the bucket. Grabbing her apron, she pulled it on and dove out the shutters. “Hi, Anstred,” she stuttered, glad it was still dark when the flush heated her face.

“I usually don't care what people do,” he told her, crossing his arms as he stared at her, “but you're acting weird.” Hiccup jerked back, a nervous grin crossing her face when Toothless gave a tug against the tether. “Well, weirder.” Suddenly, Hiccup found herself dangling in the air and gave a weak chuckle before being yanked back. Hopping up on Toothless, they raced out of the forge and took off into the air. Anstred opened the shutters to find the forge empty.

“That was too close,” Hiccup grunted as she bent the hook enough to get loose. The only way she'd been able to get the leverage she needed was from in the saddle.

_You worry too much, my Hiccup,_ he replied with a sigh when she was finally able to remove the saddle.

“You don't worry enough sometimes,” she answered, groaning with effort as she drew the saddle from his back. “Why on earth were you going after that sheep?” He shrugged but didn't answer. Hiccup sighed and pushed her bangs out of her eyes, going to get her blanket. Unrolling it beside Toothless, she yawned and rested her head on her arm. “Good night, bud,” she said around another yawn.

_Sleep well, little one,_ he answered, bending his wing to form a tent over her. When her breathing became deep and even, he drew her closer to his body and kept watch.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiccup and Toothless fly freely for the first time!

Two days later, they were soaring over the ocean. Hiccup had finally gotten the pedal positions down, though the cheat sheet was clipped to the saddle to remind her, and Toothless couldn't be happier. They were finally flying free, no more crashes into the pond of the cove or being tied to a tree. “We're going to take this nice and slow,” she said, clicking the tailfin into place. He glanced at it and shook his head in exasperation. No one flew faster than a Night Fury, and he couldn't wait to show her just how fast. Banking in a wide turn, they left the cliffs behind and headed out over the water. “It's working!” she whispered to herself after checking to make sure she was still secure, glancing back at the tail herself. “Let's go, bud!”

He dove for the water, flapping to keep them at a constant speed before tilting just enough to drag the tip of one wing through the waves. An enormous arch lay ahead of them, seagulls cawing overhead, and Toothless went under it, tilting to get a little higher from the water. Too busy checking the tailfin, Hiccup failed to see the column coming at them until it was too late. Toothless bounced off it with an irritated growl. “Sorry,” she said, guiding them away only to crash them into another one. “That was my fault.”

_Watch where you're going, Hiccup,_ he snarled, slapping her on the arm with one of his ear flaps.

“I'm on it,” she assured him, glancing down at the cheat sheet again. “Position four, uh, three.” Clicking the tail into place, she pulled back on the saddle and he lifted, flapping for more altitude as she cried out her excitement. “Go, bud!” He smirked, his tongue lolling out one side of his mouth as he took them higher and higher. “This is amazing!” The cheat sheet slid out from under the clip holding it in place and she scrambled for it, unconsciously calling for him to stop. He quit flapping only to realize that though he'd stopped, Hiccup hadn't and was lifted out of the saddle.

_Hiccup!_ Toothless cried as the tailfin quit working and he started falling. His little human wasn't far behind, cheat sheet clenched tightly in one hand as she struggled to adjust her body to get back to him. Even without his tail, his wings slowed him and she passed behind him. Clawing desperately to reach her, he roared in panicked frustration when she bounced off his wing. His struggles caused him to spin horizontally as they fell, and his tail whacked her across the face, knocking her farther away.

He cried out, helpless to do anything as the rocks drew closer. Toothless knew he might survive the landing, but his Hiccup would not. She was a frail little thing, her bones like a bird's. Even if he managed to slow himself enough that the landing wouldn't kill him, he wouldn't want to exist without Hiccup. She called for him, hoping he could hear her, but he couldn't make out her words with the wind rushing through his ears. Not even their bond could help them, as both were so desperate to save the other without thought to themselves that the only feelings that came through were panic and fear.

Somehow, Hiccup managed to pull herself back into the saddle, secure herself to it and get her feet back in the stirrups. Hauling back, cheat-sheet clutched tightly between her teeth, she clicked the tailfin into place and got them upright again. Unfortunately, she was a little late and their speed was too high for them to safely glide to a stop. As Toothless roared in panic beneath her, she drew the cheat-sheet out of her mouth to try and study it, but there was too much wind to see the positions clearly. _Stop thinking and just fly!_ She wasn't sure which of them thought that, but it was exactly what she needed. Letting go of the useless piece of paper, she lifted herself into a crouch and went with her instincts.

Eyes narrowing in determination, she moved the pedals without thought, settling in close to Toothless to reduce their drag. Her sudden control of the tail transferred to Toothless and he stopped panicking. Neither of them noticed the bond growing stronger and deeper as they worked in perfect harmony to save themselves from a particularly gruesome death. Leaning into the turns, twisting and spinning, she guided them both out of the rapidly approaching towers of rock, hardly noticing when they were soaring over the open ocean once again. “We did it!” she yelled, throwing both hands in the air with a wild laugh just as Toothless shot a ball of fire into the sky ahead of them, tongue hanging out in his glee. “Come on,” she groaned in exasperation, dropping her arms just as they reached the fireball.

_We didn't die, Hiccup,_ Toothless reminded her, immensely proud of the little human that rode on his back. Even if he had full use of his tail, he didn't think he could have made it out of that one by himself. The smell of singed hair reminded him that she wasn't as fireproof as he was. _Oops. Sorry, Hiccup._

* * *

They landed on a different part of Berk, the beach more rock than sand with a huge pile of fish Toothless caught. Hiccup gathered driftwood for a fire and Toothless lit it for her. He wasn't sure why she insisted on cooking the fish, but as he had a whole pile to himself, he didn't mind. His skinny little human, though, needed all the help she could get, so he brought up a piece of the fish he'd just swallowed. “No, thanks, I'm good,” she told him, holding up one of hers she'd skewered on a stick.

_Suit yourself,_ he replied, going back to his own fish. A minute later, they both looked up when a small group of Terrors flew into view, drawn by the smell of cooking fish. Toothless gathered his fish and crouched over them with a growl, ready to defend his catch from the little eating machines. A green one immediately went for the head he'd brought up for Hiccup, dragging it away to eat in relative peace. An orange Terror made its way over and tried to steal it. The little green defended his prize with an impressive growl and shot a stream of fire at the other, driving it off.

Toothless was stunned when one his fish seemed to stand upright and dance its way out of the pile. Spotting another Terror with the tail of the fish gripped tightly in its jaws, he snapped up the other end and pulled. The Terror fell back on its tail, what was left of the fish's tail in its mouth as Toothless swallowed the fish and laughed. With an angry shake of its head, it spit the tail out and got to its feet. Growling and scraping at the ground with its paws, it sucked in a breath to prepare its fire, but Toothless beat it to the punch and shot a small burst of fire into its mouth.

The gas the Terror had gathered caused it to puff up and fall flat on its face, little flames dancing in its mouth. Looking almost drunk, it got to its feet, smoke curling out of its nostrils as it staggered away from a smugly superior Toothless. “Not so fireproof on the inside, are you?” Hiccup commented with a laugh, picking up the smaller of her two fish. “Here you go.” She tossed it to the little Terror, surprised when it swallowed it whole. Sitting back against Toothless, she watched as it cautiously drew closer before sliding under her arm to curl against her leg. Gently, Hiccup rested her hand on it and it started to purr as it fell asleep. “Everything we know about you guys is wrong.” The other Terrors soon joined the first, one crawling into her lap while another curled around her neck.

_Just figuring that out, my Hiccup?_ Toothless asked, going back to his own fish. She remarked that he was different from the others, making him laugh. After she finished her dinner and they managed to convince the Terrors that they couldn't follow her home, they flew back to Berk just as the stars started coming out. After getting Toothless settled, Hiccup went back to the village to think about everything that had happened today. Not wanting to return to her empty house, she went to the forge. She rested on her drawing board, idly flicking her charcoal up the slope as she recalled their nearly disastrous flight. Once she'd let go of doubt, letting it disappear with the cheat sheet, she'd moved the pedals like she'd been doing it for years, not weeks, and saved them both. Despite the deepened bond between them, she still couldn't feel him this far from him and she wondered what he was thinking about.

So lost in her thoughts, she jumped when the door opened. Stoick squeezed through the door, one hand on his helmet to keep it in place.

“Dad, you're back!” she cried, jumping to her feet and barely remembered to gather her sketches of Toothless, the fin and pedals and notes for other inventions out of sight. “Um, Gobber's not here, so--”

“I know,” he told her, so focused on her face that he missed what her hands were doing as she closed the journal and leaned an elbow on it. “I came looking for you.”

“You did?” she asked, a small spark of hope lighting in her. Hiccup knew she hadn't done anything wrong recently, except for befriending Toothless, and that he wasn't looking for her to lecture her about her inventions again.

“You've been keeping secrets.”

“I have?” Other than Toothless, she couldn't think of anything that might be considered a secret that she'd kept from him.

“Just how long did you think you could hide it from me?”

“I don't know what you're—”

“Nothing happens on this island without me hearing about it,” he reminded her, his voice deep and his tone sounded ominous. “So, let's talk about that dragon.” Hiccup jolted, knocking her journal to the floor, but she hardly noticed. Someone must have seen them flying or followed her to the cove, and the only thought in her head was that Toothless wasn't safe here anymore . . . and neither was she. She'd be shipped off and Toothless would be killed. The last Night Fury would die because she hadn't been aware enough of her surroundings to notice if someone was around when they were together.

“Oh, gods,” she breathed, hoping to somehow keep him from finding Toothless. “Dad, I'm so sorry. I was going to tell you. I just didn't know how to--” She cut herself off when he started to laugh, bending backwards in his mirth. She laughed nervously, unsure of what was so funny. “You're not upset?”

“What?!” he hollered, shocked at her response. “I was hoping for this!”

“You were?”

“And believe me, it only gets better,” he assured her, smiling in relief as he remembered the stories he'd been told when he arrived that afternoon. “Just wait to you spill a Nadder's guts for the first time, or mount your first Gronckle head on a spear. What a feeling!” He didn't notice that she'd deflated a little more with every word and punched her in the shoulder, knocking her back into a nearby basket. “You really had me going there, my daughter.” Hiccup heaved an internal sigh: he was talking about her performance in the ring, not Toothless. Even as she sagged in relief from that, she bit her lip hard to keep from crying. He _still_ didn't understand her, and likely never would. Wiggling for leverage, she did her best to get out of the basket.

“All those years of the worst Viking Berk has ever seen,” he went on, not noticing her predicament. “Odin, it was rough. I almost gave up on you.” She finally managed to get her feet under her and stood, staring at him as she did her best not cry. To hear that her own father had almost given up on her was the hardest thing she'd heard from him in her life. Gobber was the only other person in the entire village who hadn't already, and now Stoick was telling her he'd been close to doing just that. “And all the while you were holding out on me. Oh, Thor Almighty!” Reaching behind him, he dragged an overturned barrel closer to sit down. “With you doing so well in the ring, we finally have something to talk about.”

_This is just great,_ Hiccup thought in disgust. _He's_ finally _proud of me, but for the wrong reasons._ She looked at her father's eager face, unable to think of what to say as he scooted closer. Opening her mouth to spill the truth, she shut it again and heaved a sigh. Nothing she could think of would lessen the betrayal of his trust and faith in her, and she didn't want to damage their fragile relationship on his first night home after yet another unsuccessful raid on the nest. _Chief first, father second,_ she reminded herself as she looked away, unable to look him in the eye as her secret burned in her chest.

“Oh, here. I brought you something,” he said, reaching behind him to hand her a helmet after adjusting the horns, “to keep you safe in the ring.”

“Wow, thanks,” she replied, genuinely surprised to get it. He hadn't given her anything like this before, other than the ax, as he'd tried to keep her as far from the fighting as possible.

“Your mother would have wanted to have it,” he told her, shocking her again. Holding it by one horn, she ran her fingers over the top of it. “It's half of her breastplate.” Snatching her hand back, she looked up at his helmet and suppressed a shudder. “Matching set.” He tapped his own helmet and muttered, “It keeps her close, you know.” She let out an uncomfortable laugh at that. “Wear it proudly. You deserve it. You've held up your end of the deal.”

Setting the helmet on her desk, she let out a wide, fake yawn. “I should really be getting to bed.”

“Yes, OK,” Stoick said as he stood, glad this conversation was over. “Good talk. We should do this again.”

“Yeah, I'll see you back at the house,” she told him, hoping he'd leave quickly so she could head back to the cove. “Thanks for stopping by and for the breast hat.”

“I hope you like the hat,” he muttered as he backed up, smacking his head on a rafter he forgot was above him in his hurry to escape. “Well, good night.” Squeezing out the door, he knocked into a bucket for collecting molten metal that bumped into a shelf holding repaired shields and a holder for weapons that needed fixing. Heaving a relieved sigh, he left for home.

Hiccup, however, went straight to the cove, unwilling to be in the same house as her dad right now. Toothless would understand her, and she made her way there, uncaring of the branches that scratched her face and arms in the dark. She could barely see where she was going through the tears in her eyes. Just as she reached the cove, the dam broke and she started to cry in heaving sobs, tripping over her own feet and falling to the ground.

_Hiccup!_ Toothless called, rising from his rock where he'd been watching the stars to run to her when she fell. She looked up and threw her arms around him, holding tight and weeping into his neck. _Oh, little one._ Wrapping his wings around her, he drew her close to his chest and let her get it out, purring gently.

“He just doesn't understand,” she sobbed, chest heaving as she wept. “No matter how hard I try, he just doesn't understand.”

_What?_ Her thoughts were a chaotic jumble, but Toothless figured out that her sire had returned and spoke with her. Hiccup had missed him, and he'd thought she'd be happy that he came back in one piece. The weeping girl he held against him, though, was as far from it as she could get. The words tumbled out of her, and he almost backed away in surprise. _Oh, my Hiccup,_ he crooned gently, drawing her tighter against him.

“Why can't he see me for who I am, bud?” she asked in dejection, her tears finally slowing.

_Your sire might not,_ he told her, easing her back to nuzzle her wet cheek, _but I do. My Hiccup, you may not be the biggest or the strongest, but you have the biggest heart and an open, seeking mind. That is something to be proud of._

“Then why isn't he?”

_I can't answer that. All I can say is that_ I _am proud of you._

“Thanks, bud,” she whispered, hugging him tight again before pulling away to wash her face in the pond. While she did, he dug out the blanket she left with him and settled to wait for her. He wrapped her in his wings again when she settled on her blanket, keeping her close as she fell into an exhausted sleep.

* * *

The next afternoon found Hiccup in the ring once again. The Gronckle buzzed around the ring, looking for the two teens hiding somewhere in the maze of short wooden walls. Anstred stayed behind it, ax clenched in one fist as he ducked and wove through the walls. Coming across Hiccup, leaning against one, mostly hidden behind her shield and ax in one hand, he shoved the shield down and got in Hiccup's face. “Stay out of my way,” he snarled as he checked the dragon. “I'm winning this thing.”

“Please, by all means,” she muttered as Anstred moved away. Hiccup stood, turning to the crowd that had gathered to watch. She caught sight of her father, leaning on the fence, and smiled uncomfortably while adjusting her helmet.

Anstred rolled behind another wall, coming to a stop to quickly catch his breath. “This time,” he promised himself, gripping his ax life a lifeline, “this time, for sure.” Leaping to his feet, he hurdled the wall he was behind and the next one in his path, war cry ripping from his throat with his ax held high. He stopped, stunned, when he saw the Gronckle on its side in front of Hiccup, one foot kicking like a dog getting it's belly scratched. Hiccup herself was barehanded, her ax, shield and helmet on the ground beside her, looking just as stunned as Anstred. “No!” he cried, beyond frustrated by this turn of events. Spinning, he took his ax to the barricade closest to him. “Son of a half-troll, rat-eating munge bucket!”

“Wait, wait!” Stoick called to them, halting Anstred's outburst and reminding Hiccup that she had somewhere to be.

“Later,” Hiccup said, headed for the exit and a little afraid of being near Anstred at the moment. The barricade was in splinters now and he stood over it, breathing hard and looking like he'd be more than capable of turning the ax on her next.

“Not so fast, lass,” Gobber told her, catching her vest with his hook and lifting her off her feet to set her down beside him.

“I'm kind of late for--”

“For what?” Anstred growled, spinning her to face him and shoving his ax into her face. “Late for what, exactly?”

“Everyone, quiet down,” Stoick said, waving his hands to halt the talking that was still going on. “The Elder has decided.” Gobber came to stand between them and Hiccup unconsciously rubbed her neck at how close Anstred's ax had gotten. He lifted his hook over Anstred and the Elder shook her head. Surprised, he held his hand over Hiccup and the Elder nodded, pointing to her with a smile. No one noticed Hiccup wince in all the excitement as the other trainees poured into the ring.

“You've done it, Hiccup!” Gobber yelled as he tossed his arm around her shoulders, pleased to see his apprentice do so well. “You get to kill the dragon!” Fishlegs lifted her to his shoulder as the other students cheered and danced around them.

“That's my girl!” Stoick hollered, punching the shoulder of the Viking closest to him.

“Yes, I can't wait,” she mumbled, one fist weakly pumping the air. “I'm so excited.” _I am so leaving!_


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flight responses, romance, revelations and understanding . . . all in one lovely chapter!
> 
> Sorry it's a bit short . . . and a bit late. Real life kicked my butt quite a bit this week, and over the next two weeks I'll be moving, so, yeah.

Two hours later, Hiccup made her way to the cove, a pack basket over her shoulder. “We're leaving, bud,” she called, hoping Toothless was close enough to hear her. “Let's pack up. Looks like we're taking a little vacation. Forever.” Setting the basket by a boulder with a sigh, she opened it to make sure she had everything she wanted to take with her. She didn't notice Anstred sitting on the boulder, ax in one hand and whetstone in the other until he scraped the stone down the blade of his ax. Jumping back, Hiccup could only gape for a moment before remembering that Toothless was nearby and needed to be protected. “What are you doing here?” she asked, pleased her voice didn't betray how nervous she was.

“I want to know what's going on,” Anstred told her, looking up from his ax and dropping the stone to one side. Getting to his feet, he jumped off the stone and landed in front of Hiccup. When she backed away, he followed. “No one just gets as good as you do,” he went on, giving her a shove with his ax. “Especially you.” Hiccup hid a wince at that. “Start talking! Are you training with someone?”

“Training?” Hiccup asked, scrambling for a believable story that wouldn't get her killed.

“It better not involve this,” Anstred mocked, grabbing the flying harness she wore and giving it a tug.

“I know this looks really bad,” she replied, holding her hands out in front of her, “but you see--” She cut herself off when Anstred passed behind her, grabbed the back of the harness and dragged her back a couple steps before tossing her to the ground with a surprised gasp at a noise in the trees. Stepping over Hiccup, he narrowed his eyes and moved closer, hoping to see what had made it. “You're right, you're right,” Hiccup blurted out, scrambling to her feet to follow Anstred. “I'm through with the lies,” she went on as she came up beside him. “I've been making outfits.” It sounded pitiful to her own ears, but it was the best she could come up with on short notice. “So, you got me. It's time everyone knew.” Grabbing Anstred's hand, she put it under the harness on her shoulder. “Go ahead, drag me back. Here we go.”

Anstred, though, grabbed the hand she was using and bent her thumb back toward her wrist, taking Hiccup to the ground with a cry. “Why would you do that?!” she demanded, getting to her feet when he let go.

“That's for the lies,” Anstred told her, kicking her feet out from under her. He dropped his ax, handle first, on her stomach and caught it before it hit the ground. “And that's for everything else.” He looked up when he heard a growl coming from not too far away. Spotting a black dragon lying in the shade as it lifted it's head, eyes opening to pin him in place, he gasped and dove for Hiccup, wrapping an arm around her waist and taking them both to the ground. “Get down!”

Toothless, thinking the Viking had attacked his Hiccup, growled and started running their direction. Jumping to his feet, Anstred grabbed his ax and prepared to defend them as he shouted for Hiccup to run. Hiccup knocked him down, grabbed his ax and, in a burst of strength she didn't know she was capable of, twisted the ax out of his hands and slid it across the ground. Holding her hands up, she stopped the dragon.

“It's OK, bud,” she was saying as Toothless growled, his wings open to appear bigger. “It's OK. He's a friend.” Anstred stared at the pair in shock as the dragon lowered its wings but kept burning green eyes on him as it nuzzled into Hiccup's hand as she turned back to face him. “You just scared him.”

“I scared _him_?” Anstred replied, not taking his eyes off the dragon until what he said caught up with him. “ _Who_ is _him_?”

“Anstred, Toothless,” Hiccup told him, gesturing from him to the dragon. “Toothless, Anstred.” He growled at her, still angry about seeing Hiccup knocked to the ground. Anstred shook his head, unbelieving at the scene before him, before turning to run back to the village. “Oh, we're so dead,” Hiccup groaned, pushing a hand through her bangs. Toothless just growled and walked away. “Hey, where do you think you're going?”

_Forget him, Hiccup,_ he told her as she chased after him. _He's not important._

“He's going back to tell the village about us,” she insisted, jumping into the saddle and quickly securing herself. “We have to stop him.”

_Fine,_ he scoffed and took off to chase the other human. After a few minutes, they spotted Anstred running full tilt beneath them, ducking branches and leaping over logs. Mid-leap, Toothless swooped down and grabbed him by one arm. He reached up with his free arm to either get loose or hang on tighter, he wasn't sure, but smooth black scales reminded him of just what had a grip on him.

“Oh, great Odin's ghost,” he breathed as he watched the ground getting farther below him. “This is it.” The claws around his arm loosened and he surprised himself by screaming as he dropped into the top branches of a pine tree. Gripping a branch in his hands, he tried to haul himself up so he could get a better idea of how to get down, only to be knocked swinging when the dragon joined him in the tree. The upper part of the tree bent sharply and Anstred could only hold on as best as he could. “Get me down from here, Hiccup!” he demanded, trying and failing to get his leg over the branch for a more secure hold.

“Not until you let me explain.”

“I'm not listening to anything you have to say,” he growled, shifting closer to the trunk of the tree.

“Then I won't speak,” Hiccup replied, holding her hand down to help him up. “Just let me show you.” He scoffed and looked away as he inched closer to the trunk, wondering just how far down it was to the ground from here. “Please, Anstred.” Too far down to jump, and the next branch was too far down to climb. Heaving a sigh, Anstred pulled himself up, and carefully got his feet under him before knocking Hiccup's hand away. The dragon growled as he reached for the saddle and he paused, but after a moment climbed up behind Hiccup. Sitting as far back as he could, he hoped the dragon would listen to Hiccup and get them down without killing them.

“Now, get me down,” he ordered, ignoring the quiver in his voice.

“Toothless, down,” Hiccup said, patting the dragon's head, “gently.” Like rippling silk, the wings opened and Hiccup smiled over her shoulder at him. “See? Nothing to be afraid of.”

_Care to wager on that, my Hiccup?_ Toothless asked with a sly grin before launching them into the air, going almost straight up. Anstred was yelling in terror, and with nothing to hold on to, was in danger of falling off.

“Toothless!” Hiccup scolded, even if she saw the humor in the situation. “What are you doing? Bad dragon! Ow!” Anstred had grabbed her braid and used it like a rope to haul himself upright and wrap his arms around her waist. “He's not usually like this,” she said over her shoulder to Anstred before heaving a sigh when Toothless leaned to one side. “Oh, no.” Toothless rolled onto his back and let them fall, seemingly uncaring that they might crash. Screaming, Anstred just clung to Hiccup and prayed she could get her renegade dragon under control.

Toothless flipped back over and took them into the waves below. Coming up quickly, he shook the water out of his eyes before doing it again, then a third time. “We need him to like us!” Hiccup shouted, trying hard not to laugh. Flapping hard, Toothless took them straight up before folding his wings and corkscrewing though the air. “And now the spinning,” Hiccup muttered, laughter forgotten as she tried to keep her lunch from coming back up. “Thanks for nothing, you useless reptile.”

_Useless reptile?_ Toothless repeated, locking his wings and just letting them fall. They twisted and turned, Anstred screaming for his life.

“All right! I am sorry!” he hollered, his eyes squeezed shut and his heart in his throat. “I'm sorry! Just get me down before I throw up!” Toothless caught an updraft and settled, taking his riders high. This high up, the clouds formed castles and cathedrals, only to be scattered by the winds that went unfelt along the ground. Anstred slowly opened his eyes and gasped in wonder. Toothless was soaring effortlessly, nearly touching the clouds right above their heads.

He unwrapped one arm cautiously and reached up to feel the clouds. Cool droplets passed between his fingers, and with a laugh, he reached up with his other hand. Closing his eyes, he forgot all about his problems on the ground as they passed through the clouds. Bringing his arms down, he held Hiccup's shoulders as Toothless took them through a gentle loop before going higher, above the clouds now. It was dark, the moon and stars almost close enough to touch. In front of them, dancing waves of fire in greens and purples filled the sky. His father had told him of the Fire of the Gods, but he'd never seen it until now. The view was indescribable and he knew, without a doubt, that no one would ever believe he'd ridden on the back of a Night Fury to see it so close.

Toothless took them back down and Berk came back into view. From this high, it looked like a nest of fireflies clinging to a rock in the ocean. With a sigh, he wrapped his arms around Hiccup's waist again and rested his chin on her shoulder, missing her blush. They passed the carved rock towers that marked the way to the docks before going up again. “All right,” he said, sitting back and looking around in amazement, “I admit it. This is pretty cool. It's . . . amazing. _He's_ amazing.” He put a hand on Toothless and noticed for the first time how warm his scales were.

“Yeah.”

“So what now? Your final exam is tomorrow,” he told her, making her stiffen in front of him. “You know you're going to have kill-” He cut himself off and continued in a whisper, “kill a dragon.”

“Don't remind me,” she groaned, knowing she'd have to come up with a plan. Toothless suddenly took them into a dive, and Hiccup moved the pedals without thinking about it as Anstred tightened his arms around her. “Toothless, what's happening?” she asked, but received no answer. The bond between them was buzzing like a hive on angry bees, making her head hurt. “What is it, bud?” They evened out in the fog that was rolling in. From their right, a Monstrous Nightmare emerged, a large cow clutched in its talons. “Get down!” she hissed quietly and they pressed themselves as low as they could against Toothless. Other dragons began coming into view, more than they could count: Zipplebacks, Nadders and even a few Gronckles, each carrying something with them.

“What's going on?”

“I don't know,” she replied as she put a hand near Toothless' head. “You got to get us out of here, bud.” He shook her off and kept following the other dragons. “It looks almost like their hauling in their kill.”

“What does that make us?” Anstred wondered, old habits dying hard with so many wild dragons around. Suddenly, all the dragons dove for the water before evening out to weave their way through the sea stacks that emerged from the fog. Hiccup followed his lead, clicking the pedals into position when he leaned or shifted to change direction. Guiding them through the stacks, she couldn't help but wonder where they were going. Streaks of orange light lit the fog ahead of them and as they neared, she realized it was lava coming from the island they could barely see through the mist. Before they knew it, they were inside the mountain, twisting and turning to squeeze through the tunnel. They emerged into a giant chamber, lit by a dull, angry red light from below.

“What my dad wouldn't give to find this,” Hiccup whispered and Anstred tightened his arms briefly and ducked closer. The dragons ahead of them were dropping their cargo into the pit below them, without touching any of it. Toothless passed over it, circling around until he came to a ledge and hid behind the large column of rock that held it suspended from the ceiling. “It's satisfying to know all of our food is being dumped down a hole.”

“They're not eating any of it,” Anstred observed, leaning up a little to see around Hiccup. An off-beat buzzing caught their attention and they looked up to see a lone Gronckle, flying as if drunk, heading for the pit. Opening its mouth, it dumped out a single fish. Hovering, it lifted one foot to scratch an itch behind its head before flying away as a growl sounded from below. With a speed belying its size, an enormous dragon-head emerged from the mist and snapped up the hapless Gronckle in one bite. Easily longer as their largest long-boats and four times as wide, its scales were a dark stone grey with teeth long enough to skewer anything unlucky enough to be caught in its massive jaws. The other dragons drew back in fear of the monster below them, hiding in narrow openings that the head couldn't reach them in. “What is that?” he breathed in shock as it dropped back before coming back up, nostrils twitching as it caught their scent.

“All right, bud,” Hiccup said urgently, putting a hand on Toothless' neck, “we've got to get out of here . . . now.” Toothless leaped into flight just as the massive jaws snapped shut where they'd just been. All the dragons took flight, headed for the opening above them, desperate to escape the confines of the nest. The monster rose up, reaching for the fleeing Night Fury but instead caught a Zippleback. 

The flight back was spent discussing everything they'd seen. “It totally makes sense,” Anstred was saying as they came to a landing near where he'd first found them. “It's like a giant beehive. They're the workers and that's their queen. It controls them.” Hopping off Toothless, he started to head back to the village. “We should find your dad.”

“No!” Hiccup cried as she dismounted. Running after him, she grabbed his arm and turned him to face her. “No, not yet. They'll kill Toothless. Anstred, we have to think this through, carefully.” She turned to walk back to Toothless, who had wandered away to drink from the pond, hoping Anstred would believe her.

“Hiccup, we just discovered the dragons' nest,” he reminded her, trying to understand why Hiccup didn't want to run to her dad with this new knowledge but exasperated, too. “The thing we've been after since Vikings first sailed here, and you want to keep it a secret? To protect your pet dragon? Are you _serious_?”

“Yes,” she answered fiercely, whirling to face him. “He's more than a pet, Anstred. He's been my best friend almost since I met him. Toothless doesn't care that I'm the worst Viking Berk has ever seen. I'm enough just as I am! No one in the village has _ever_ given me that kind of understanding.”

“OK,” he said quietly after a moment to get over the shock of what she'd just said. He'd known it hadn't been easy for Hiccup, being the chief's daughter, too skinny and too smart for her own good, but he hadn't known it was quite that bad. “Then what do we do?”

“Just give me until tomorrow,” she replied, heaving a sigh and shoving a hand through her bangs. “I'll figure something out.”

“OK. Just promise you won't run away.”

“I promise.” Anstred sighed before punching her in the shoulder.

“That's for kidnapping me,” he informed her with a fierce glare. Hiccup looked over her shoulder at Toothless, who just shook his head and went back to drinking. Grabbing the harness, he drew Hiccup in and dropped a kiss on her cheek. “That's for, um, everything else.” With that, he was gone, leaving Hiccup and Toothless alone. Hiccup stared after him for a long moment, one hand pressed to her cheek until Toothless crooned curiously at her shoulder.

“What are you looking at?” she demanded, hoping the dim forest would hide the blush she knew was firing her cheeks. With a devilish look in his eye, he licked her cheek and she groaned in disgust. “You know that doesn't wash out!”

_See? Nothing to be embarrassed about, Hiccup,_ he told her with a smug grin. She shoved him but he didn't budge, only laughed deep in his throat at her. He stopped her from taking the saddle off, wanting to be able to leave as soon as she was finished doing whatever it was she was going to do tomorrow.


End file.
